Spied: New 2023 Nissan Almera facelift spotted in Thailand, could it be an e-Power hybrid?

Back in October 2022, the N18 Nissan Almera’s North American twin called the Nissan Versa was given an extensive facelift. The question of when it will be arriving in Southeast Asia might be soon if this spyshot in Thailand gives any clue.

Spotted in a YouTube video uploaded by Kitsguy, the grey Almera was spotted filling up at a petrol station somewhere in Thailand. Aside from the bits of camouflage around the car, it looks like the current pre-facelift Almera.

In another photo that was uploaded to the Nissan Almera 2020 Club Thailand Facebook group, another user shared what appears to be the front end of the supposed Almera facelift.

Even though the Almera is almost fully covered up front, it’s very likely that the design would share the same V-Motion grille as the Versa.

Also read: New 2023 Nissan Almera's American twin, Versa gets a front makeover

Front makeover aside, the North American Versa is the same as the pre-facelift in the rear and inside. The Versa is powered by a 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine that makes 122 PS and 155 Nm.

Meanwhile, the Almera facelift over in Southeast Asia will likely continue with the turbocharged 1.0-litre 3-cylinder unit (100 PS/152 Nm). The reason is that the Almera’s production base in ASEAN is in Thailand where the sedan is categorized as an Eco Car.

But there could also be a possibility of an Almera e-Power hybrid as well which could use the same powertrain that is used in the Kicks e-Power. The Kicks e-Power in Thailand is powered by a 1.2-litre HR12DE naturally-aspirated engine, paired to a 2.06 kWh battery, and a 136 PS/280 Nm electric motor. This could give the City RS e:HEV a run for its money.

Also read: 2023 Nissan Almera e-Power hybrid to fight City RS, new Vios? Best believe it's happening

The current Malaysian-spec Almera is also fully-imported from Thailand and starts from RM 83,888. Once the facelift is introduced in the Kingdom, it’ll only be a matter of time before it heads down south of the border.

Also read: I used to dislike the Nissan Almera, but the N18 model changed it all