It's Been A Good Run: Nissan Tsuru Production Likely To End Soon
After 25 years in production, the Nissan B13 chassis is not long for this world. New Mexican safety regulations will spell the end of the Nissan Tsuru, according to a report in La Jornada Aguascalientes.
While the Tsuru — sold here as the Sentra from 1991 through 1994 — remains one of the most popular vehicles in the Mexican market due to remarkably low prices and ownership costs, the lack of airbags and anti-lock brakes mean doom as the Mexican government begins to bring cars sold in the country up to the safety standards required in the U.S. and Europe.
We last looked at the Tsuru back in March and lamented on the cheap-and-cheerful ur-Sentra’s lack of availability on our shores. With a base price of around $7,000 USD, it’s no wonder why the Tsuru is a darling of taxi fleets south of the border.
Unfortunately, a platform designed in the late ‘80s is woefully unprepared to handle the brace of airbags and advanced driver-safety features expected in modern transportation. Mexico’s new NOM-194 motor vehicle safety laws expressly require ABS and airbags engineered to various EU and FMVSS standards, among other regulations. The new laws will make the B13 chassis obsolete, much in the same way similar laws killed off the Volkswagen Type 2 “Kombi” in Brazil.
While Sentra enthusiasts will bemoan the end of a beloved platform, Nissan has plenty of other top-selling models, including the Tiida, which we know as the last generation Versa sedan.
[Images: Nissan Mexico, Latin NCAP]
h/t to GMInsideNews
Some enthusiasts say they were born with gasoline in their veins. Chris Tonn, on the other hand, had rust flakes in his eyes nearly since birth. Living in salty Ohio and being hopelessly addicted to vintage British and Japanese steel will do that to you. His work has appeared in eBay Motors, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars, Reader's Digest, AutoGuide, Family Handyman, and Jalopnik. He is a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association, and he's currently looking for the safety glasses he just set down somewhere.
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So I guess the Tsuru didn't give owners much tsuris. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/tsuris
They don't build 'em like they used to. Wait - yes they do! I was working for a short time at a Nissan dealer when these were launched in the US, they were half decent but things have clearly moved on.