Hitting The Green

The Golf segment’s latest contender, the Nissan Pulsar, takes on the Peugeot 308 and Volkswagen Golf in this turbocharged 1.2-litre hatchback shootout.

MENTION the term “turbocharged hatchback” to a friend and the first model that he’ll name will be the Volkswagen Golf. Ask him to name other models and you’ll hear about the hatches from Citroen, Renault and even Opel.

The point here is that in the Golf segment, there were no Japanese models to speak of until Nissan launched the Pulsar this year. The model’s reintroduction to Singapore is like a blast from the past. The last time the model was available as a hatchback here was in the 1980s, and it was offered as a saloon in the 1990s

There’s nothing retro about the latest Pulsar, though. The hatchback’s design looks fresh, and like its European rivals, it has a turbocharged motor. And as the largest of the three cars here, its size hints at its roominess, a key consideration for any buyer.