While Honda Malaysia is busy teasing the all-new City on Facebook, Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) is quietly working on the all-new 2020 Nissan Almera with some hidden surprises.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the Malaysian-spec, all-new 2020 Nissan Almera will be fitted with the same engine as its Thai sibling – the 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine that does 100 PS and 152 Nm. This engine is mated exclusively to a CVT-type automatic.

With the new turbocharged engine in place, the upcoming all-new Nissan Almera will likely be the only Japanese B-segment sedan to offer a forced-induction engine. The only other turbocharged B-segment model is the Volkswagen Vento Highline, which gets a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

Now that the turbocharged engine has been confirmed, we’re now curious to see how the rest of the all-new Nissan Almera stacks up against the competition. If anything, we reckon that it could be on the right track, as ETCM did a decent job with the C27 Nissan Serena and Nissan X-Trail facelift.

As for the all-new Honda City, this new model may not be fitted with the turbocharged engine found in the Thai-spec car – instead, it could be fitted with a newer 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine that is found on India and Singapore spec cars.

Considering that the all-new Nissan Almera will be fitted with a turbocharged engine, will that sway you away from the Toyota Vios and Honda City?