'TIS THE SEASON for facelifts in the car calendar, but 2004 promises to be a rather quiet year for radical innovation from the world's motor manufacturers. With a series of interesting models released in 2002-3 (Toyota Prius, Nissan March and BMW 6-series, to name a few) and the promise of more to come (no fewer than 25 new concept cars were unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October), car makers seem content to give existing products a superficial makeover this time around.
It's refreshing to see that Nissan has taken a little more out of research and development funds to make something a little more breezy out of the 2004 facelift of its staple luxury saloon, the Cefiro (Spanish for a zephyr wind). Pitted against the likes of the Mercedes-Benz E-class, Audi A6, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, the Cefiro has seen moderate sales Hong Kong but never quite enjoyed the successes of European marques.
To counter this, Nissan has not only invested in a technical redevelopment of the Cefiro (backed, you may have noticed, by an aggressive marketing campaign) but it has been equally adventurous with the redesign.
Having got the cute-yet-streetwise look of the March just right, Nissan's stylists (no doubt dizzied by their success) seem to have produced the ultimate curio with the Cefiro. Oddly irksome from some angles, the 2004 facelift could have benefited from a few more nips and tucks from the designer's scalpel.
It's still obviously a luxury sedan (they're meant to look large, purposeful and graceful), yet the Cefiro doesn't quite pull it off and seems a little ungainly - on the outside at least.
With an odd mix of curves and edges - a guppy-like front end, slab-sided flanks and splayed rear quarters accommodating the enormously practical boot - you can see that this big car is styled towards the European ideal, more akin to the Peugot 607, for instance, than the Camry. However, its distinctive looks and heavy-set proportions do manage to create a commanding presence on the road.