Nissan China To Launch Sylphy-based Lannia Next Month

First previewed at this year’s Auto Shanghai 2015 motor show in April, the Nissan Lannia is set to go on sale in China next month with a starting price of 122,900 Yuan.

When the Lannia was first unveiled in Shanghai, Nissan did not provide any official data with regards to its specifications, but we can now confirm that the Lannia will be powered by a 1.6-litre HR16DE CVTC engine, paired to either a 5-speed manual transmission or an XTronic CVT automatic.

A 1.8-litre MRA8DE engine is also rumoured to join the line-up next year.

Judging by its technical specifications, the Lannia appears to be a Nissan Sylphy with a different styling.

Its 2,700 mm wheelbase is exactly the same as the Sylphy’s, as is its torsion beam type rear suspension, as well as its similar powertrain combo. While our local market Sylphy is powered by a 1.8-litre MRA8DE, some markets have the option of a 1.6-litre HR16DE (China and Singapore for example) engine, the same unit used in the Lannia.

In fact, the Lannia name’s Chinese name is a literal translation of the English word ‘Blue Bird (as in Nissan Bluebird), another name used by the previous generation Sylphy.

The 122,900 Yuan Lannia is positioned slightly above the more conservatively styled Sylphy, which starts from 119,000 Yuan for the 1.6-litre model.

The Lannia is designed by Nissan Design China and is aimed at younger buyers, the so-called ‘Post ‘90s generation,’ or Gen-Y consumers in Chinese lingo. As such, it is only meant for domestic sales in China and will not be exported to other markets.