Ride like a million bucks

While the industry and prospective car buyers are still looking at the New Sentra Exalta, Nissan Motor Philippines continues to push its midsize, the Cefiro. This is, after all, the car that set the tone for NMP’s product positioning which is to throw in as many luxury features as it possibly can while still maintaining profitability.

Honda stands for yuppieness. Toyota (until the new Corolla Altis came along) for good old reliability and solid engineering. And Nissan? It’s among the first to use copious amounts of leather and faux wood in its cars, along with nice touches like sunroofs, standard 4-speed automatic transmission, and neat sound systems.

Ruling the roost, of course, is the Cefiro Brougham (pronounced "brom", not "bro-ham"). Nissan makes no apologies that this car is for the, ah, mature class of affluent citizens. Two-tone paint, tasteful amounts of chrome, plastic wood, and a Bentley-esque grille give it the air of a Cadillac. It should, of course, because with an SRP of P1.610 million, the car is already within spitting distance of a chic, entry-level BMW or Audi and one needs enough reasons to justify this price for a Japanese car. So don’t bother carping about the car’s "oldie" appeal because a lot of decent gents like their cars to have the look and feel of rolling symbols that old money can buy.

Certainly, no one – not even the young and the restless – can resist the pleasure and novelty of a power-adjustable rear bench that has integrated controls for the VCD player and massager. You can’t get that in a Benz, guys. Nor can you get a ceiling-mounted LCD monitor to go with the 6-disc VCD changer back in the trunk that opens with an electronic button.

Life is definitely enjoyable in the backseat, and having some naughty fun in there with one or two, err, companions seems perfectly justifiable. You can do all the things you want while the chauffer concentrates on the driving part.

In true Nissan fashion, the cockpit is a study in the art of using simulated wood, and making it look just right instead of plain cheesy. The leather-and-fake wood steering wheel looks great. The wood appliques everywhere else are acceptable. Get going upon your master’s command and things are as laid back as one would expect from a pseudo-limousine.

The award-winning "VQ" engine purrs out 155 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 19 kg-m of torque at 4,400 rpm, though it’s hard pressed to pull the car’s 1,485 kg body with ease. You’d want to keep your right foot planted on the gas if you’re in a hurry, or you could take it as it is and drive around in a restrained and dignified manner as befits this car’s role.

Speaking of feet, the front passenger seatback has a collapsible section for the rear passenger to rest his (her?) tired feet on in true first-class fashion. There’s no automated massager for that, though, but an adept chauffeur can substitute for that one.

Equally relaxed in attitude is the suspension tuning. The front struts and rear multi-link beam deliver American cruiser-like ride and handling, which is to say "soft", "cloudlike", and a little bit "floaty". These are qualities quite unexpected for those used to Euro-supple or Japanese-athletic vehicle dynamics, but hey, no one expects this car to go round a challenging circuit at breakneck speeds anyway.

Other nice things about the Brougham are a 2-DIN stereo in the cockpit to go with the VCD changer, ABS, dual airbags, anti-theft system, and rear and quarter window sunshades for those private moments with whoever you share the back seat with.

About the only thing that betrays this platform’s age is body rigidity. Though the doors slam with near-teutonic heft, drive it over not-so-smooth macadam and tiny vibrations can be felt through the seats and steering column.

For all that, this car deserves accolades for bringing a lot of value to a well-defined, wealthy market that needs a sedan that will take them to and from the corporation in style and comfort.