The Nissan Primera was a large family car produced from 1990 to 2008 for the Japanese and European markets. In Japan it replaced the Auster and Stanza and was sold at Nissan Prince Store; in North America it was the Infiniti G20. The name was revived in 2026 on a battery electric model based on the N7.
Nissan Primera at a glance
| Production | 1990–2008 |
|---|---|
| First generation | P10, from February 1990 in Japan |
| UK launch | September 1990, replacing the Bluebird |
| Built in | Japan and Washington, Tyne and Wear, England |
| Engines | 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0-litre petrol; 2.0-litre diesel from 1992 |
| Gearboxes | five-speed manual, four-speed automatic optional |
| European trims | L, LS, SLX, GS, GSX, ZX; later L, LX, SLX, SGX, eGT |
| Suspension | Nissan’s multi-link front suspension in a front-wheel-drive car for the first time |
| US version | Infiniti G20 |
| Revival | 2026 electric model based on the N7 |
based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Nissan Primera; the collected material concentrates on the first generation.
History of the Nissan Primera
P10 (1990)
Since 1986 Nissan had built Bluebirds, essentially rebadged Austers and Stanzas, at its Washington plant in Tyne and Wear for Europe. It showed the Primera X concept at the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show as part of Project 901 and the UV.X concept at Frankfurt in 1989, with the design aimed specifically at European buyers. The car launched in Japan in February 1990 and replaced the British Bluebird in September that year. It had a conventional front-wheel-drive chassis and a five-speed manual gearbox with an optional four-speed automatic.
Engines and chassis
Power came from 1.6-litre carburetted, 1.8 and 2.0-litre injected petrol engines; a 2.0-litre diesel followed in Europe from 1992 and a 1.6 injection at the end of 1993. The 1.8 was single-point injection at first (SR18Di), gaining multi-point injection and more power in 1991, and was never built in left-hand drive or sold in continental Europe. A rare Autech version had special suspension and interior packages and a tuned SR20DE of 180 PS. Bodies were four- and five-door saloons, with a five-door estate sold as the Primera Traveller in Japan only, built on the Avenir’s slightly different sheet metal. The Primera applied Nissan’s multi-link front suspension to a front-wheel-drive car for the first time, and the 2.0 gained a power upgrade in 1992 giving the ZXe, later eGT, 150 PS and a claimed 219 km/h.
Japan, America and Britain
Some British-built right-hand-drive five-door cars were exported back to Japan as the Primera UK GT, the first British-built Japanese car to be reverse-exported there. In the United States the Japanese-built car was sold as the Infiniti G20, using the narrower body that kept the Primera inside the Japanese compact tax bracket of 1.7 m width. European trim levels were L, LS, SLX, GS, GSX and ZX at launch, replaced from 1992 by L, LX, SLX, SGX and eGT.
Design and features
- Multi-link front suspension: a first for a front-wheel-drive Nissan.
- Sunderland build: British cars for Europe, some exported back to Japan.
- Primera UK GT: the first Japanese car reverse-exported from Britain.
- Infiniti G20: the American version on a narrower body.
Nissan Primera versions
- Primera P10 (1990–1996): the first generation.
- Primera Traveller: the five-door estate sold in Japan.
- Primera UK GT: British-built cars exported to Japan.
- Infiniti G20: the North American version.
- Autech Primera: the tuned 180 PS special.
The Primera replaced the Bluebird in Europe and the Auster and Stanza in Japan, and later shared its platform with the Almera. More cars are in the Nissan collection.
Video: Richard Hammond Nissan Primera Review (2001)
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Nissan Primera, English Wikipedia: P10 launch, engines, suspension, trims, Infiniti G20
