Nissan Almera Sportech: Thailand gets factory bodykit

Nissan Thailand has introduced the Nissan Almera Sportech. The Sportech name would be familiar to Thais as it has been around, used on kitted-up variants. Here, the fourth-generation N18 Almera receives a nicely integrated bodykit that looks very factory.

The Sportech kit is available on V and top VL variants for an extra 20,000 baht (RM2,647), taking the prices to 629,000 (RM83,265) and 659,000 baht (RM87,238) respectively.

Designed by Autech, Nissan’s accessories brand in Japan, the Sportech isn’t just an add-on bodykit, but the front and rear bumpers are new. In front, the cutouts for the “side intakes” are much bigger and there’s a pattern on the blacked out parts above the LED fog lamps (VL only). There’s also a silver front lip that smoothens the lower front end, plus dark chrome borders for the grille.

No side skirts for the Sportech, but there’s a body coloured bootlid spoiler (it’s black in Malaysia) and a new rear bumper. Like the front item, the lower tier has become larger and more prominent, and you’ll find the same dotted pattern and silver lip repeated here. No more traditional diffuser design as a result.

Lastly, there’s a Sportech badge on the bootlid and silver wing mirror caps to match the front/rear highlights. The 15-inch two-tone alloys are unique too. 20k baht sounds very reasonable for all of the above, right? The Sportech can be had in five colours – Black Star, Storm White (pearl), Radiant Red, Monarch Orange and the Gun Metallic grey you see here.

The N18 is powered by a 1.0 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 100 PS and 152 Nm of torque. The DOHC HRA0 motor is paired with an Xtronic CVT automatic transmission with D-Step Logic (simulates gearshifts) and a Sport Mode switch built into the back of the gear lever. That’s the same powertrain we get in Malaysia, where the new Almera is priced from RM79,906 to RM91,310.

GALLERY: Nissan Almera Sportech, Thailand