Primera 5-door goes on sale in UK

5 June 2002: The most important Primera of all, the five-door, goes on sale 17 June in the UK.

The five-door is British born and bred: its finned rear was styled at Nissan's technical facility in the Midlands and will be produced at the company's Sunderland factory for sale only in Europe.

Hitting the showrooms at the same time are 2.0-litre six-speed manual versions of the saloon, estate and, of course, the hatchback.

When the full range is available, 80% of Primeras sold in the UK will be hatchbacks. So its debut is an important one in a market which, in this age of Changing Rooms and Ground Force, prefers the versatility of a fifth-door. This hasn't stopped the Primera saloon, though, finding many a fan since its March introduction – not least for the car’s bold styling. The hatchback shares this extrovert look, being identical when viewed from the front. At the rear, though, Nissan's UK design team has given the hatchback a style all of its own … the fin is back. But Nissan’s designers aren’t saying if their inspiration came from British sportscars of the 1960s or from the dolphins that swim alongside the Primera in the television ads.

It's the way the rear lights are fashioned that's so unique. Three overlapping circles take care of the usual illuminations. However these are housed in a clear, red-tinted lens that's been pinched to form a fin. The rear window has a U-shaped lower edge which Nissan could claim is to improve rear visibility.

At 4567 mm long, the five-door is the shortest car in its class – except for the same length Primera saloon. And the new Primera, whether you're talking four- or five-door, is taller than any rival making the view from the driving seat almost MPV-ish. The rear door opens up 460 litres of luggage space with the back seats and parcel shelf in place, enough to easily swallow an Ikea trolley load of assorted household accessories.

June 2002