Track day with the new Nissans: Taking the new Altima and Sylphy for a spin

MANILA, Philippines - It’s not every day that a car manufacturer lets loose its cars on a race track to be driven by eager motoring journalists. And when they do, it’s usually on a tightly controlled environment where over-exuberant driving by over-exuberant journalists can be restrained.

You’d expect to see lots of orange cones around the circuit to control both straight-line and cornering speeds.

Which is why it was a bit of a surprise to see the Clark International Speedway with a notable lack of pylons dotting the circuit. Not only that, we soon learned that we will be driving two of Nissan’s newest cars—the Sylphy compact sedan and the Altima midsize luxury sedan—on no less than Clark’s 4-kilometer full track, not the short track which is less than half the length of the whole circuit. 

It’s probably as much a testament to the company’s confidence in their cars (or a misplaced trust in the motoring scribe’s driving skills) as it was to the fact that three racers were involved in the project. Veteran circuit racers Pepon Marave and George Apacible were commissioned to be event managers and track marshals by Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI), whose sales director, Lee Junia, is a long-time circuit racer himself. 

Dubbed as “NISSAN SPIN: The New Altima and The New Sylphy Drive Experience,” the event was participated in by journalists from top media outfits marking it as the company’s biggest media activity by far.

The media drive experience led by NPI president and Managing Director Kenji Naito demonstrated much enthusiasm as the event was graced by Nissan Motor Ltd’s John Zhang and Purdue University-educated Kiyoshi Itoh, expert resource persons for the new Altima and new Sylphy, respectively.

Flying in from Japan, Zhang and Itoh conducted a detailed product orientation of the new cars, highlighting their unique features. Both also welcomed inquiries from journalists who were eager to learn more about the new Nissan models.

“Today commemorates a very historic event for us at Nissan Philippines, Inc. as it marks the first of many exciting events and activities of the company. We are pleased to spend this event with our media friends and grateful for their support since our launch last March,” Naito said.

“Exciting” was an understatement. Seemingly seconds after that speech, the squeal of burning rubber can be heard from the starting line as five samples of the Sylphy (a 1.6 manual, a 1.6 automatic, and a 1,8 automatic) and Altima (2.5 4-cylinder and 3.5 V6—all Altimas come with CVT automatics) took to the track in anger.

I got to drive all models and came away impressed with the performance on the track. Of course, real world driving on broken roads, bumps, and potholes is a totally different experience, but track driving is equally demanding—perhaps even more so.

But despite lap after lap of banzai redline runs and screeching tires, I didn’t see high engine temperatures on the gauges or smell burning oil or overheated brake pads or clutches. The cars did get enough cool down after hot laps, but aside from the ticking sounds of a hot exhaust system while they sat on the tarmac, the cars didn’t miss a beat.

Acceleration, especially for the 270hp (340Nm) Altima V6, was exceptionally strong. The 2.5-liter version, despite having a smaller output (180hp/243Nm), was almost equally agile. Both luxury cars surprised us with their responsive, almost Germanic handling. You’d find none of the wallowy feel of many luxury cars that tend to float over road imperfections but bob and weave when driven aggressively. But despite the tight chassis, both Altimas delivered a plush ride—even when driven at or near flat-out speeds. They’re no BMW’s—but they come darn close.

The Sylphys, despite having much lower engine outputs and a fuel economy-biased CVT gearbox, were still entertaining enough. Like the Altimas, the Altis- and Civic-class Sylphy was a revelation. The drivetrains were velvety smooth and eager to deliver as much power as the driver demanded—at least for 1.6- and 1.8-liter engines. The former develops 116hp and 154Nm of torque while the latter pumps out 131hp and 174Nm—not exactly class-leading but certainly more than adequate for the job.

The entry-level 1.6 manual had a delightfully light clutch and an easy-to-shift stick. It felt more at home on the track than its CVT-equipped siblings and seemed impressively well equipped for a base model.      

The new Altima is now available at Nissan dealers with an SRP of P1,650,000 for the 2.5L SV CVT and P2,030,000 for the 3.5L SL CVT while the Sylphy comes in at P812,000 for the 1.6L MT, P915,000 for the 1.6L Upper CVT; and P998,000 1.8L Upper CVT.

Nissan Philippines, Inc. recently held its launch as a new company with “One Company, One Direction, One Nissan” as the guiding principle. With the goal to reinforce brand and sales power, NPI is focused on instensifying sales and service across the nation and broadening the product line, as well.

The arrival of the new Sylphy and Altima signals the beginning of more Nissan products to arrive in the Philippine market. And based on the way they drive on a circuit (not to mention their understated good looks and astute pricing), things are looking up for Nissan