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?