2024 Nissan Almera VL 1.0 Turbo CVT – Great value but greatly underestimated
If there’s a segment that’s pretty highly contested in the PH, it’s that of the subcompact sedans. And this is where the Nissan Almera VL comes in. Serving as the top-of-the-line variant, the VL comes in, guns blazing, chockful of goodies at quite an attractive price. But we don’t really see too many of them on the road, do we? We’re here to talk about what a lot of people might not know about it, and what they’re all missing out on. Let’s get to it!
Top-of-the-line Nissan Almera VL presents a strong case many might not know of
First of all, its looks. Compared to its predecessor, this generation’s Almera VL is leaps and bounds better-looking, and let’s get that out of the way right away. We’ll go so far as to say that the previous generation left a whole lot of the Nissan faithful wanting of a more attractive sub-compact. It wasn’t ugly, but something just felt lacking, or maybe looked and felt too simple. That’s just my take on it; no “oomph”.
This time around, the front is emphasized by the “new” V-Motion grill. Making up what’s probably 75% of the front end, this element lets you know that the Nissan Almera is back and looking brand spanking new. Specifically for the VL, this comes finished in gloss black with chrome inserts that make for an elegant and sporty look.
To make things even more “V”, the LED headlight assemblies neatly incorporate into the grill’s top corners that make for a sharper look. Sharp being mentioned, a few more aggressive cues are provided by an angular bumper, blacked-out LED foglight frames, and a rather tastefully done front chin that doesn’t jut out and down.
The side of the Almera is much more sedate, though. The greenhouse is sizeable, making for better viewing of what’s at and coming from the sides. Its size looks bigger than it really is because of the black “framing” provided by the A-, B-, C-Pillar, and the entire roof, plus the side mirrors. If anything, the two-tone scheme gives life to an otherwise plain-jane-looking profile, and that’s a good thing.
As for the rear, there you’ll find a design feature that I like a lot, and that’s how the character line from the doors continues to the rear fender, giving it an angular crease down the side. What I find brilliant about this is how the corners of the black-framed taillights hug into the said crease and the ever-so-slight bulge of the rear wheel well. This is all properly accentuated by the angular lines on the rear bumper, which, in turn, complement the sharp trunk garnish of the taillights, the sporty black skirt, and the faux diffuser.
Overall, the Almera VL’s looks give you a healthy mix of a mature sedan and a spry sub-compact that can appeal to owners and users of all ages.
On the inside, the Almera VL hasn’t changed much, if at all. We can even say that it’s more of a transplant of the parts from the previous generation. The main difference, though, is the black-blue two-tone motif. The older TOTL model had the same pieces but were finished in black (save for the white accent upholstery on the seats); simple, straight to the point. For this Almera VL, Nissan looks to have gone the “look, I’m a new range-topping model” route and decided to spruce the interior up with a bit of color. And it works. It’s not odd nor is it cheap, especially with so many other brands also employing the same color scheme in their interiors.
You still get the same gauge cluster with a nice digital MID on the left that stretches to the middle plus an analog speedometer on the right. Even the steering wheel is the same, but this time, with the addition of toggles on the right-hand side, and the nice new Nissan logo on the horn button. The 8″ infotainment screen has likewise been retained and still has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The climate control buttons and dials sit directly beneath the head unit, and further down is a 12V socket and a USB port, and a recess for your personal trinkiets.
The center console is again, the same. Bordered in piano black and a silver “ring”, you have yourself a straight-up shifter lever beside the ignition button, a conventional handbrake lever, and lo and behold, a console box with a lid for an armrest! This last bit was something that the previous generation sorely missed, but this Almera VL gives you one. Finally!
As mentioned earlier, black and blue is the motif of choice for the Almera VL. When we mentioned the interior being “transplanted”, that includes the seats both front and back. The Almera VL may have a different color inside, but the innards are all the same. What’s good, though, is that the design of the material is very elegant for a car in this segment. That, and the fact that it has very good lateral bolstering and comfortable padding materials make for a most pleasant experience whether as a driver or passenger.
That said, space in all aspects – head, shoulder, leg, knee – is not a problem in the front. The rear, though spacious, is just enough. It can seat 3 in the back, but we wouldn’t advise it because as good as the knee-room is, the lateral space is quite limited in the Almera VL’s backseat. It is a subcompact after all.
In contrast, the trunk space does impress. Overall, we had no problems stuffing boxes of groceries and a couple of bags alongside as forward/horizontal space is very ample. The vertical space could be better, but it wasn’t too difficult putting things in and taking them back out, so don’t worry.
Ride quality is top-notch inside the Almera VL. Quite surprising is the required tire pressure (36 Psi in front!), and though it was high in front and different from the rear’s required pressure, you’d expect a weird toss-up between a harsh or wallowy ride, right? But no, the Almera VL soaked up the smooth and rough patches of the road with much ease. No untoward rattles were felt or heard, either, and that’s always a big plus for any vehicle of any segment. As far as suspension and ride comfort go, the Almera VL is tops.
Powering the Almera VL is a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder turbocharged engine. It gives a most modest 100 HP but a very impressive 160 Nm of torque. That said, the pull is available very low in the rev range and helps get the vehicle moving so even from a stop, it won’t take too much of a pedal mash to get going
Partner that with what looks to be a low-power output and a nice little turbo, you get yourself a decent amount of grunt, a hefty amount of pull, and an impressive fuel economy. That being mentioned, we were able to average 10.6 km/L in the worst of traffic, so we can imagine how much better that will be on open roads in the city or on the highways.
More goodies packed into the Almera VL include a start-stop function (further helping to improve fuel consumption), NissanConnect Services, and a slew of Nissan Intelligent Mobility features that give safety and comfort by way of Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Intelligent Emergency Braking, Auto High-Beam, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and a 360-around view monitor. All these make for a very competitive, efficient, and safe package.
The Nissan Almera VL actually retails at two different prices. The first, and if you opt out of the option NissanConnect Services, will set you back at PHP 1,155,000. Should you choose to get one with the NissanConnect Services subscription, that will cost you a total of PHP 1,195,000. Either way, both these prices do cross into the 6-digit territory, but with all that you’re getting, the Almera VL does make a very good and strong case for itself.
It’s not a gas guzzler, it’s not going to rattle your teeth out, it has space enough for you and your passengers and cargo, it has a good number of comfort and safety tech, and it just looks good.
At that (those) price(s), it’s a most practical deal, if we do say so ourselves. And that’s why we wonder why we don’t see so many of them still. Perhaps this Review can help would-be buyers of vehicles in this segment realize that they do have a choice in the Nissan Almera VL, and it’s something we quite confidently stand by.
More photos of the 2024 Nissan Almera VL
