Nissan Pintara

Nissan Pintara

Nissan Pintara (R31) GXE sedan
Overview
Manufacturer Nissan
Production 1986–1993
Assembly Australia: Clayton, Victoria
Body and chassis
Class Mid-size

The Nissan Pintara is a mid-sized automobile that was manufactured by Nissan Australia from 1986 until 1992.

First generation (R31; 1986–1990)

R31
Overview
Production 1986–1989 (sedan)
1986–1990 (wagon)
Body and chassis
Body style 4-door sedan
5-door station wagon
Layout FR layout
Powertrain
Engine 2.0 L CA20E I4

The first generation R31 Nissan Pintara is a mid-sized family car which was built by Nissan Australia at its Clayton, Victoria assembly plant in Melbourne from mid-1986.

Replacing the locally produced Nissan Bluebird (910), it was based on the Nissan Skyline[1] with a single fuel-injected 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, entirely built and sold in Australia to compete with the Mitsubishi Magna. Like the Australian-built six cylinder R31 Skyline, it was offered in sedan and station wagon form.

Four specification levels of the R31 Pintara were offered: GLi, Executive, GX, and GXE. A TRX bodykit package was offered for the GX and GXE sedans, featuring a front and rear air dam, rear spoiler, side skirts, grille cover, alloy wheels and low profile tyres.

Unlike the later U12 TRX, this did not feature any mechanical upgrades.

1986 Pintara GXE sedan
1989–1990 Pintara Executive wagon

The sole engine choice was a 2.0 litre CA20E inline-four, producing 78 kilowatts (105 hp) (DIN) at 5200 rpm and 160 newton metres (120 ft·lbf) (DIN) at 3200 rpm. This unit was SOHC, multi-point fuel injected featuring electronic concentrated control system (ECCS) including electronic ignition. It featured two spark plugs per cylinder to help meet emission requirements.

Rather than build the U11 Bluebird, Nissan Australia had chosen to go the route of building a localised four-cylinder Skyline, because of the Bluebird's switch to front-wheel drive with the U11. Nissan Australia had feared that the new front-wheel drive design would not resonate well with the Australian consumer, as the Australian market was well acclimated to rear-wheel drive at the time.

For this reason, rival Toyota had continued to produce the rear-wheel drive T140 Corona up to 1987 for the Australian market, despite most other markets receiving the front-wheel-drive T150. The reality of marketing a front-wheel drive Bluebird in the Australian market would come into fruition with the succeeding U12 model.

Second generation (U12; 1989–1992)

U12
Overview
Also called Nissan Bluebird (Japan, New Zealand)
Nissan Stanza (Americas)
Ford Corsair
Production 1989–1992
Body and chassis
Body style 4-door sedan
5-door hatchback (Superhatch)
Layout FF layout
Powertrain
Engine 2.0 L CA20E I4
2.4 L KA24E I4

The first generation Pintara was replaced in 1989 by a model initially dubbed by the media as "Project Matilda",[2] which turned out to be a locally produced front-wheel drive version of the Nissan Bluebird (U12), rather than a model uniquely designed for Australia as initial stories had indicated. However, the model performed badly in local testing, and required body and chassis strengthening.[3]

In Australia, this was sold as the Nissan Pintara (U12), also available as a locally designed five-door "Superhatch". The sedan and Superhatch were exported to New Zealand as the Nissan Bluebird (replacing locally assembled models sourced from Japan) while the Superhatch was exported to Japan as the Bluebird Aussie.[4]

The U12 model was discontinued in mid-1992 when Nissan Australia ended local production and New Zealand reverted to local assembly of the next generation Bluebird from Japanese kits.

Under the Button car plan, in which local manufacturers shared models, Ford Australia marketed a rebadged version of the U12 Pintara sedan and hatchback as the Ford Corsair.[5]

Nissan fitted a 2.0-litre CA20E inline-four engine to the GLi and Executive levels of trim. This engine was rated at 83 kilowatts (111 hp) (DIN) at 5200 rpm for power, and 168 newton metres (124 ft·lbf) (DIN) at 4000 rpm torque.[6]

T, Ti, and TRX versions received a 2.4-litre KA24E inline-four. This engine produced 96 kilowatts (129 hp) (DIN) at 5600 rpm and 189 newton metres (139 ft·lbf) (DIN) at 2800 rpm.[7] Fitted with electronic concentrated control system (ECCS) for precise MPI fuel injection, the 2.4 litre also featured ignition timing control with SOHC and three valves per cylinder (two intake, one exhaust).

References

  1. ↑ Angas MacKenzie, Second Guessing Nissan Pintara, Car Australia, July 1986, pages 48-52.
  2. ↑ Information, Opportunism and Economic Coordination, Peter E. Earl, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2002, page 28
  3. ↑ BRW: The Magazine of Australian & New Zealand Business, Volumes 1-2, BRW Publications, 1991, page 27
  4. ↑ Nissan Bluebird Oozui: When Australia (Briefly) Exported Cars to Japan, August 26, 2012
  5. ↑ The Bulletin, Volumes 114-115, 1993, page 70
  6. ↑ Ford Corsair sales brochure, Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited, September 1989.
  7. ↑ Ford Corsair sales brochure, Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited, September 1989.
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