A Dongfeng-Nissan Sunny 2.0 LS EQ7202, seen in Beijing in 2016. The sunny Sunny was in a perfect shape, painted in a dark shade of black with a beige interior and still on the original factory wheels.
The Dongfeng-Nissan Sunny 2.0 LS EQ7202 was manufactured by the Dongfeng-Nissan joint venture. It was based on the first generation (G10/N16) Nissan Bluebird Sylphy. Production in China started in 2004 and ended in 2010. ‘LS’ was the top trim level and ‘EQ7202’ was the official factory designation.
I like the design of the Sunny sedan; very basic, simple, and classic in an almost timeless way.
The LS was quite luxurious, with leather seats, leather upholstery and faux wood panels. The LS was equipped with electric windows, electric mirrors, air conditioning, and a CD-player with a 6-disc changer. The owner of this car added fancy seat covers and a very warm steering wheel cover. These steering wheel covers are very popular in northern China for keeping the wheel warm in the cold winters.
The Sunny was powered by an ‘SR20’ 2.0 liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine. Output was 146 hp and 183 Nm. The engine was mated to a 5-speed manual or, as in this car, a four-speed automatic. Top speed of the automatic model was 180 km/h and 0-100 took 10.2 seconds.
Until the mid-2000’s the factory designations had to be on the car in full, either with lettering or on a sticker like on this car.
Affordable compact sedans with a hint of luxury are still very popular in China today, and even more so back in the 2000’s. The Sunny was the right car in the right place and it sold very well. Price of the 2.0 LS automatic was 189.800 yuan, which was a pretty food deal for the amount of car you got.
The Sunny was a strong car and there are still a lot of them around today, helped by the easy availability of parts and ongoing support of the Dongfeng-Nissen dealer network. That last point may seem obvious but in China it isn’t. Many brands have been in multiple joint ventures, which don’t support each other’s cars, and most dealer networks don’t service older cars. Happily, this black Dongfeng-Nissan Sunny 2.0 LS EQ7202 may ride the endless roads of the capital for a long time coming.