All-new 2020 Nissan Almera for Malaysia gets AEB for all variants!

After much anticipation, the 2020 Nissan Almera is set to arrive in Malaysia with bookings announced today. While we can gush over the 1.0-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder engine that could lighten the wallets on road tax, the Malaysian-spec Almera will also feature AEB.

The Almera will be available in 3 variants; VL, VLP, and VLT. Interestingly, all 3 variants will be equipped with AEB which Nissan calls Intelligent Forward Collision Warning (IFCW) with Intelligent Forward Emergency Braking (IFEB). This system can detect up to a distance of 200 metres and works between 5-80 km/h.

However, only the top-of-the-range VLT will feature the full Nissan Intelligence Mobility (NIM) and Nissan Safety Shield 360 safety suite which adds on a 360-degree camera, blind-spot monitor, and rear cross traffic alert (RCTA).

The lowest-spec VL only comes with 2 airbags but the VLP and VLT add 4 more airbags to bring the total to 6.

Still, this is a major improvement over the outgoing Almera in terms of safety. The current blobby-looking Almera lacks some safety features, only having 2 airbags (or 1 for the cheapest 1.5 E) and no stability control. Despite that, it is a popular model for Nissan especially given that it is geared towards those who wanted a cheap new car that isn’t wearing a local badge.

Prices are estimated to start from around RM 80,000 for the VL all the way to around RM 90,000 for the top-of-the-line VLT. Do note that these prices don't include SST.

However, if you're interested to check it out, there is a nationwide preview at selected showrooms beginning 5 September. The Almera is expected to be launched in October 2020. 

With all these added safety features, I think it has redeemed some of the flaws of the current Almera. What do you think?