The N16-generation Nissan Sunny manual is a model that I can reminisce a little on, but not fondly.
The Nissan Sunny was a very vivid piece of nostalgia for early Gen Zs living in Singapore come the 2010s.
These sold well, carrying the flame of its predecessors that had been marketed aggressively towards old people. The B14-generation Sunny is one I can remember, which had a magazine advertisement that threw the intended demographic squarely at old women who didn’t want a fast car because they’re too scary. These days, some grannies are repping large SUVs with a Mercedes-Benz logo if their towkay husband truly made it in life.
Nevertheless, for those staying in the “poorer” parts of the country, these Sunnys were once a common sight, usually in some very unker color. Just think of the most beige beige that comes to mind. While the common transmission type was the automatic for ease of living, some buyers willingly chose a manual box for their final car – be it as tradition of possibly a several decade motoring journey or because it was cheaper.
These rugged Sunnys sold locally were powered by a 1.6-litre QG16DE four-cylinder, making around 118 horsepower and 165Nm, driving the front wheels either by a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions. Many ex-owners have commented that the fuel consumption has always remained a gas guzzler – the manual would be the better pick for fuel.
A minimum of two trims were offered – the EX and LE. The EX is the lower trim offered with the manual transmission and a black interior, while the LE was the more opulent, offered with a beige (presumably leather) interior. There are/were some local units specified in LE with beige interior and exterior – a nice budget spec normally reserved for Mercedes-Benz.
This unit found randomly in Bedok is a EX trim with a manual transmission. The wine red is a pretty rare color, although the mood that the car emits is no different to the common beige units.
Peeking inside – don’t mind me doing that – is a familar shiny gear knob, black vinyl seats, single-DIN headunit and white-faced gauges. It doesn’t scream luxury – its no Cedric – but it isn’t really lacking either.
The headunit is a nice period-correct Clarion DB358RMP or similar. It does look mostly generic when turned off, but it does illuminate a cool blue when on – very pretty, really.
Unfortunately, white-faced gauges does not mean speed in the case of the local-delivered Sunny. It was sporty back in the day, but in applications like this with a sub-120 horsepower engine… it would elude that perception quickly.
The headlight lens are very yellowed and clouded as is the stripping clearcoat of the paint, plus the wheels and lug nuts look to be in equal colors – not just silver. But really, if you didn’t care about cars and didn’t buy into consumerism and flaunting the latest and greatest, you’d look at this car and happily take the keys – especially anyone locally who isn’t in the upper percentile of the population.
It hasn’t been too long ago since this writer actually took his licence. It was in one of these; beige, white-yellow plates and a SGG plate.
The car was fine, but I don’t miss the days of driving it. it was terrible. Pair a hot-headed uncle with a hot-headed kid in the same car and the only joyous time of the session was leaving.
It could be this reason that I likely won’t ever love the Sunny, even if it was a manual unit. There are studies that show increased brain activity driving a manual, but I think it is only going to remind me of the bad times I had learning in one. Though admittedly my social skills can probably be surpassed by those yet to be eligible for driving, so its likely more of a me problem.
The Nissan Sunny will follow the same trajectory of every model in Singapore, even though it has overstayed its welcome in this car-hell. Many have been scrapped after being renewed five years non-renewable COE at the turn of the decade or half before. The early model units, like this car, are to do renewal in the coming year, meaning that both due to sky-high COE PQP costs and their drivers retiring means that the only next custodian will be a workshop tearing the body for parts.
These have already become very scarce since 2023 when the last of the five-year-renewed units disappeared, and the next culling will be in the next few years which has a good chance to kill it for good.
Every now and then do I wonder how feasible or funny it is to convert a Malaysian-market Nissan Sentra into a Sunny, but I likely only do because my world hasn’t expanded to other platforms yet. I don’t miss the Sunny that much, it was just a core but sore memory in my younger life.
With how the world is going, I do yearn for a time back into the early 2010s. Current technology was super fresh, times were simpler, drinks at coffee shops weren’t two dollars and these were plentiful on the road, with its contemporaries still around and oldies still going strong. The world I knew is gone.
So has this car. It has been deregistered as of August 2026, likely scrapped than sold with a new plate.
~Efini
Gallery:
Photos taken 27 November 2025
Read more: SG Archives: Mazda Roadster Turbo
Consider subscribing to our website! Most of our posts are uploaded before they reach our social medias, so such means you get to see posts early and some that we may not feature. Cheers!
Subscribe to our newsletter!
