Subcompact car is a North American classification for cars smaller than a compact car . It is broadly equivalent to the B-segment (Europe), supermini (Great Britain) or A0-class (China) classifications.
58-654: The Datsun Cherry (チェリー), known later as the Nissan Cherry , is a series of subcompact cars which formed Nissan 's first front-wheel drive supermini model line. The Nissan Cherry featured the front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout . The Cherry line includes the E10 and F10. Nissan's direct successor was the Nissan Pulsar worldwide. In Japan, the Cherry was exclusive to Nissan Cherry store locations. On
116-464: A 73 mm (2.9 in) bore, like the previous A10 engine, but with its stroke increased to 70 mm (2.8 in). With five main bearings on a forged steel crankshaft, the engine is extremely smooth and durable. The two-barrel (twin-choke) Hitachi carburettor was significantly improved with the addition of a power valve circuit. The A12 engine produced 70 PS (51 kW; 69 hp) and 70 ft⋅lb (95 N⋅m) torque. A special version of
174-448: A 75 hp (56 kW). An important fact is that this model only existed in the 1974 model year. The redesigned A13 is a 1.3-liter engine. It used the same basic block casting as the A12 and same stroke of 70 mm, but used a 76 mm bore for a displacement of 1,270 cc. This engine was also used as the basis for a number of Formula Pacific and Formula 3 race engines. The A14
232-421: A 76–76.8 mm (2.99–3.02 in) bore diameter. The intake valve was 40–41 mm (1.57–1.61 in) and exhaust valves were 33–34 mm (1.30–1.34 in). The pistons were also a special design and the valve rocker system was different from the standard A12 due to the use of a crossflow layout for the racing engine. For the 1974 model year, the A engine was modified, and all subsequent A engines use
290-541: A displacement of 1,270 cc (78 cu in). These legendary engines competed in Japan's Touring Sedan (TS) class races against the 1200s archrival Toyota Starlet . Perhaps the most interesting variety of A series engines was the AY12 engine. This was a special race-only Nissan factory ( works ) racing version with a crossflow cylinder head . The AY12 was used in an under 1,300 cc (79 cu in)-class with
348-562: A group of younger buyers who otherwise shop for used cars. While fuel prices at the time were increasing, the small cars were planned before fuel prices soared; for example, Honda had announced that it would release a subcompact model as early as 2004. By 2008, sales of subcompact cars had dramatically increased in the wake of a continuing increase of fuel prices. At the same time, sales of pickup trucks and large sport utility vehicles had dropped sharply. By April 2008, sales of Toyota’s subcompact Yaris had increased 46 percent, and Honda’s Fit had
406-806: A higher average transaction price. Models that were no longer sold in the United States by the end of the decade include the Mazda 2 (discontinued after 2014), Scion xD (2016), Toyota Prius C (2017), Ford Fiesta (2019), Smart Fortwo (2019), Fiat 500 (2019), Toyota Yaris (2020), Honda Fit (2020), and Chevrolet Sonic (2020). Nissan A engine The Nissan A series of internal combustion gasoline engines have been used in Datsun , Nissan and Premier brand vehicles. Displacements of this four-stroke engine family ranged from 1.0-liter to 1.5-liter and have been produced from 1967 till 2009. It
464-507: A larger diameter gudgeon pin. The A12A shared a common block and crankshaft with the redesigned A12 and A13 engines. The 1974 A13 is a 1.3-liter (1288 cc) engine with 73 mm bore like the A10 and A12 above, but stroke increased to 77 mm, and compression ratio reduced to 8.5:1. This engine features a "tall-block" with a deck height 15 mm (0.59 in) higher than previous A-series engines. Applications Making this engine
522-497: A record month with an increase of 54 percent. However, low fuel prices and the added room in SUVs impacted subcompact sales negatively in the late 2010s. During this period, industry executives and analysts said that the subcompact car market was returning to historical norms after an unusual period when manufacturers had expanded small car lineups in anticipation of rising demand fueled by rising fuel prices, which has since eased. In
580-485: A redesigned suspension. Sound levels dropped as a result of the improved aerodynamics, advancements in door seal technology, and the use of a sandwiched firewall . An interesting feature was that the three-door's rear windows could be opened with two levers on the center console; these controlled the child safe rear locks on five-door versions. A special model mainly sold in Europe was the one-litre E10-engined version. This
638-540: A revised carburetor, this engine produced 66 PS (49 kW; 65 hp). Export versions of the A10 as installed in the Datsun 100A produced 59 PS (43 kW; 58 hp) SAE at 6000 rpm and 8.3 kg⋅m (81 N⋅m; 60 lb⋅ft) at 4000 rpm. A belt-driven SOHC version of the A10 was built as the E10 into the early nineties. The A12 is a 1,171 cc (1.2 L; 71 cu in) engine with
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#1732780853551696-574: A saloon and the estate model carried over from the previous Sunny range. In America only the notchback coupé ("Pulsar NX") was offered for most of the N12's run although the three- and five-doors were sold for model year 1983 only. In most export markets, the Nissan Sunny name replaced the Cherry starting with the N13 Pulsar model. In certain markets such as Greece, however, the N13 Pulsar retained
754-482: A second vehicle for use around town, not as a primary car. The Volkswagen Beetle was marketed with advertising pointing out the car's unconventional features as strengths and to get buyers to "think small." Prompted by the British government for exports, Ford was one of the first companies to try and sell inexpensive small cars in volume. From 1948 to 1970, approximately 250,000 economical English Fords were imported to
812-485: Is a 1.4-liter (1397 cc) engine produced from the 1975 Model year through 2008. The bore was increased to 76 mm, up from 73 mm of previous A-series engines. Like the previous A13 engine, the A14 is a "tall-block" variant. It was produced in various ratings from 50 to 92 PS (37 to 68 kW). A twin-carburetor "GX" version of this engine (A14T) was available in some markets. A fuel-injected version (A14E)
870-402: Is a small-displacement four-cylinder straight engine . It uses a lightweight cast iron block and an aluminum cylinder head , with overhead valves actuated by pushrods . The Nissan A engine design is a refined, quiet and durable gasoline engine. It appears to be a modern replacement of the earlier iron-headed Nissan C and Nissan E engines and is of similar dimensions. The 1960s E series
928-851: The Ford Fiesta , Volkswagen Polo , Renault 5 and Fiat 127 being particularly popular, along with the General Motors product which was known in Britain as the Vauxhall Chevette and on the continent as the Opel Kadett City. It continued to sell well in Britain, and the most popular foreign car there in 1981. In the American market it was sold as the Datsun 310, slightly upscale from the old-fashioned rear wheel drive Datsun 210 . Engine choices were carried over from
986-686: The Ford Mustang II temporarily downsized from the pony car class to become a subcompact car for its second generation. The Monza with its GM variants Pontiac Sunbird , Buick Skyhawk , Oldsmobile Starfire , and the Mustang II continued until the end of the decade. The Chevrolet Chevette was GM's new entry-level subcompact introduced as a 1976 model. It was an 'Americanized' design from Opel , GM's German subsidiary. Additionally, subcompacts that were imported and marketed through domestic manufacturers' dealer networks as captive imports included
1044-511: The Nissan C engine ). With a two-barrel Hitachi carburetor and an 8.5 to 1 compression ratio this engine produced 62 PS (46 kW; 61 hp) at 6000 rpm and 8.5 kg⋅m (83 N⋅m; 61 lb⋅ft). The Datsun 1000 Coupé, introduced in Sept 1968, was equipped with an uprated A10 engine boasting a free flowing dual outlet exhaust manifold with increased compression, now 9 to 1. With
1102-688: The Nissan Versa and Mitsubishi Mirage . The smaller cars in the A-segment/city car category (such as the Chevrolet Spark and Smart Fortwo) are sometimes called subcompacts in the U.S., because the EPA's name for this smaller category — "minicompact" — is not commonly used by the general public. The prevalence of small cars in the United States increased in the 1960s due to increased imports of cars from Europe and Japan. Widespread use of
1160-516: The Renault Le Car and the Ford Fiesta . In 1977, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began to use a new vehicle classification system, based on interior volume instead of exterior size. Sedans with up to 100 cubic feet of passenger luggage volume were classified as subcompact. There was not a separate subcompact station wagon class with all up to 130 cubic feet of volume classified as "small." In 1978, Volkswagen began producing
1218-715: The Suzuki Cultus (a three-cylinder hatchback, badged as the Chevrolet Sprint) and the Isuzu Gemini (a four-cylinder hatchback/sedan badged as the Chevrolet Spectrum). Subcompact cars were highly popular in the 1990s due to their affordability and fuel efficiency. These cars typically had engines under 1.6 liters and were ideal for city driving. During the 1990s GM offered the Geo brand featuring
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#17327808535511276-586: The "Cherry" nameplate. In Japan and some Asian markets, the Pulsar name was used until the N15 model. Subcompact car According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) car size class definition, the subcompact category sits between the "minicompact" and " compact " categories. The EPA definition of a subcompact is a passenger car with a combined interior and cargo volume of 85–99 cubic feet (2,410–2,800 L). Current examples of subcompact cars are
1334-645: The "Rabbit" version of the Golf — a modern, front-wheel drive design— in Pennsylvania. In 1982, American Motors began manufacturing the U.S. Renault Alliance — a version of the Renault 9 — in Wisconsin. Both models benefiting from European designs, development, and experience. To replace the aging Chevette in the second half of the 1980s, Chevrolet introduced marketed imported front-wheel drive subcompact cars:
1392-543: The A10-engined E10 Cherry was called Datsun 100A (the Datsun brand being used in place of Nissan in the European market at that time) or Datsun 120A (A12, but this engine was only available with the coupé body style or as a semi-automatic version of the ordinary car available in 1978). The names "Cherry" and "Datsun 1000" were also used in advertising, however the Datsun 1000 name was associated with
1450-599: The A12 called the "A12 GX" engine, was available (A12GX or A12T for front-wheel drive applications). With twin Hitachi sidedraft carburetors, a longer duration camshaft and 10:1 compression ratio, it delivered 83 PS (61 kW; 82 hp) at 6400 rpm, up 20 percent from a standard A12 engine. The GX engine was offered in Japanese Domestic Market Nissan Sunny 1200 GX sedans and coupes. The identical specification A12T engine
1508-583: The Alfa Romeo connection in its publicity and was fitted with the same black and green interior as the Arna Ti or Cherry Europe GTi. The model was entirely N12 based though and featured the normal, transversely mounted Nissan E engine . After the end of Cherry production, the Sunny was Nissan's only offering of this size in Europe, with the range launched in the autumn of 1986 including a hatchback as well as
1566-601: The Datsun brand maintain strong sales figures. The N10 model Pulsar was introduced to Japan in May 1978, with European sales beginning in March 1979. While known as the Nissan Pulsar in Japan, it was called Cherry in Europe and many other export markets. The body styling was more boxy, and influenced by designs coming out of Europe at that time. It came at a time when small hatchbacks were enjoying rising sales across Europe, with
1624-533: The F-II were generally disappointing, and the "Cherry" nameplate was retired in Japan after this generation. The F10 was fitted with three types of inline four-cylinder Nissan A-series OHV engines: A two-pedal type semi-automatic transmission was offered called the "Sportmatic", which used a torque converter obviating the need for a clutch . In Europe, F10 was known as Datsun 100A F-II (with A10 engine) or 120A F-II (with A12 engine). The A12 powered 120A F-II
1682-520: The Finnish video game My Summer Car set in a fictional town called "Peräjärvi". It serves as the protagonist's main car, that they must assemble, tune and maintain. The second-generation Cherry was known as F-II in Japan and "Datsun F10" in North America. It was Nissan's first front-wheel-drive model to be sold in North America. Four-wheel independent suspension continued to be used. Sales of
1740-470: The Japanese and the European names called the "Cherry Pulsar." This was a three-door Cherry DX 1.3 or 1.7 Diesel fitted with some extra equipment and painted light blue or silver metallic. The turbocharged 1.5-litre model produces 114 PS (84 kW) at 5600 rpm in European trim. A derivative of Cherry N12 was also built by Alfa Romeo at Pratola Serra, near Naples , Italy. The Alfa-built version
1798-573: The N10 model replaced it overseas, eventually being discontinued in late 1980, with the N10 5-door hatchback replacing it in 1981. In the USA, only the coupe and wagon were offered, and only with the 1.4-litre engine. In Canada, the two-door sedan was also available. It was a strong seller on the UK market, although it did not launch there until 1976, due to the popularity of the original Cherry model there, and helped
Nissan Cherry - Misplaced Pages Continue
1856-628: The Suzuki-built Metro subcompact. Subcompact cars of the 1990s typically featured a small footprint, lightweight design, and engines with displacements generally under 1.6 liters. They were designed to provide maximum interior space while maintaining a compact exterior, making them ideal for city driving and parking. Several models defined the subcompact car market during the 1990s. Some of the most notable include: The 1990s focused on fuel efficiency and emissions, leading to innovations in fuel injection and aerodynamics. These subcompacts set
1914-595: The U.S. in limited volumes, including the 1930 American Austin (later called the American Bantam) and the 1939 Crosley . From the 1950s onwards, various imported small cars were sold in the U.S., including the Nash Metropolitan , Volkswagen Beetle , and various small British cars. The term subcompact did not yet exist, so the Metropolitan was labeled a "compact or economy car" and marketed as
1972-472: The UK market, it debuted just before the company's surge in sales, which saw it sell just over 6,000 cars in 1971 and more than 30,000 the following year. Although its successor was launched in 1974, such was the original model's popularity on the UK market that it was not replaced there until 1976. Originally, before combining with Nissan Motors , the Prince Motor Company plan of development
2030-488: The US while over 235,000 went to Canada. Models such as the 1960 Ford Anglia were promoted as "The world's most exciting light car." Due to the increasing popularity of small cars imported from Europe and Japan during the late 1960s, the American manufacturers began releasing competing locally-built models in the early 1970s. The AMC Gremlin was described at its April 1970 introduction as "the first American-built import" and
2088-420: The United States, the segment experienced a 50 percent drop in sales in the first half of 2020 compared to 2019. In Canada, the subcompact share of the car market shrank to 1.6 percent for the year ending 2020, down from 2.4 percent in 2019. As a result, manufacturers stopped offering subcompact models and focused on larger cars instead, including subcompact crossover SUVs which offer higher profit margins and
2146-654: The early Nissan Sunny and Nissan Bluebird . The Cherry was introduced in Japan at a specially established dealership sales channel called Nissan Cherry Shop , whereas the Sunny was sold at Nissan Satio Shop , and the Bluebird was sold at the Nissan Bluebird Shop . As the Cherry F-II successor flagged in the market, the somewhat smaller E10 Cherry continued to be sold up until 1977 in many places. With
2204-572: The engine, transmission , and front suspension . Rear suspension, brakes and the majority of body panel pressings came from Japan. Arna was an acronym meaning Alfa Romeo Nissan Autoveicoli . The Arna did not sell well and the partnership was not continued after the car's demise in 1987. The Arna was never sold in Japan but a domestic version of the N12 Nissan Pulsar, labelled the Nissan Pulsar Milano X1, made use of
2262-688: The first U.S. built subcompact car. Also introduced in 1970 were the Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto . Plans for the subcompact AMC Gremlin pre-dated Vega and Pinto by several years because of AMC's strategy to recognize emerging market opportunities ahead of the competition. Sales of American-built "low weight cars" (including subcompacts) accounted for more than 30% of total car sales in 1972 and 1973, despite inventory shortages for several models. The Gremlin, Pinto and Vega were all rear-wheel drive and available with four-cylinder engines (the Pinto
2320-523: The launch of the Cherry in 1971, Datsun's prominence in the UK market grew. In the early 1970s, as the British auto-industry faltered, Datsun led the charge of Japanese auto-manufacturers rapidly gaining market share in the UK. Britain's Motor magazine polled readers about their cars, including, in February 1973, those who owned E10 Cherrys. The question given greatest prominence was the final one which asked whether or not respondents would buy another car of
2378-399: The new block style. Since there was increasing need for accessories like air conditioning, anti-pollution air pumps and the like, the distributor was moved from the front side of the engine to the middle of the block to make room for these accessories. Additionally, the motor mount positions were moved slightly. Nissan introduced its emission control technology, called NAPS ( Nissan NAPS ) with
Nissan Cherry - Misplaced Pages Continue
2436-477: The oil pump from the rear of the camshaft to the right side of the block. As production continued, 1974 and newer A-series engines had different block castings, with relocated motor mount bosses. The A10 is a 1.0-liter (988 cc) engine, released in September 1966 in the 1967 model year Datsun 1000 . The A10 featured a three main bearing crankshaft. Bore was 73 mm and stroke was 59 mm (same as
2494-455: The previous model, consisting of Nissan's A-Series motor in 1.0 L, 1.2 L and 1.4 L forms. At some point, the A12 was replaced by the marginally larger A12A in export markets as well. Production of the N10 series ceased in mid-1982, to be replaced by larger N12 Cherry/Pulsar, which was sold in Europe from September 1982. The Cherry name was still used in Europe on the model N12, an angular, three- or five-door hatchback design which
2552-401: The redesign. This "new" A12 retained the same bore, stroke and most other specifications of the previous A12. The A12A is a 1.2-liter (1,237 cc) engine. It used a casting similar to the A12 and same stroke, but used a 75 mm bore (up from 73 mm), for an increase of 66 cc capacity. It too was of an overhead valve design. The A12A also uses a different (stronger) conrod with
2610-535: The same model: 76 percent of Cherry owning respondents answered "yes", which was the top score for this question achieved by any model to date, and beat even the 66 percent "yes" score given by owners of the previous leader, the Volkswagen Beetle , at the time well known in the UK for its owners' brand loyalty. A fictionalised Datsun 100A (known in-universe as the Satsuma AMP) is featured in
2668-483: The stage for modern small cars, emphasizing efficiency and reliability. Because of consumer demand for fuel-efficient cars during the mid- to late-2000s, sales of subcompact cars made them the fastest growing market category in the U.S. In 2006, three major subcompact models were introduced to the market, the Toyota Yaris , Honda Fit , and Nissan Versa . These models were released by their manufacturers to aim at
2726-604: The term subcompact coincided with the early 1970s increase in subcompact cars built in the United States. Early 1970s subcompacts include the AMC Gremlin , Chevrolet Vega , and Ford Pinto . The term subcompact originated during the 1960s. However, it came into popular use in the early 1970s, as car manufacturers in the United States began to introduce smaller cars into their line-up. Previously, cars in this size were variously categorized, including "small cars" or "economy cars". Several of these small cars were produced in
2784-415: The weight of the car by the new E-series engines being lighter than the ones used in the previous model, and through the extensive use of high-strength low-alloy steel (HSLA) as well. Further improving fuel economy were much improved aerodynamics, although at drag coefficient of C d =0.38 they were no more than average for the segment. Occupant comfort was also improved through better seats and
2842-699: Was also available with a V6 engine, and the Gremlin was also available with I6 and V8 engines). The Pontiac Astre , the Canadian-originated re-badged Vega variant was released in the U.S. in September 1974. Due to falling sales of the larger pony cars (such as the Chevrolet Camaro and first-generation Ford Mustang) in the mid-1970s, the Vega-based Chevrolet Monza was introduced as an upscale subcompact and
2900-541: Was an all-new design from newly acquired Aichi Kokuki , and integrated Nissan's improvements to the BMC B-Series engine design of the 1950s (Nissan was a licensee of Austin Motor Company technology), mainly comprising changing the camshaft from the left side to the right side so removing the intrusion of the pushrods from the porting allowing for eight individual ports instead of the original five, and moving
2958-657: Was badged as the Alfa Romeo Arna but in the United Kingdom and Spain it was available through Nissan Dealers badged as the Nissan Cherry Europe. The Cherry Europe was only available as a three-door in two varieties; the base model 1.2 SL and a later performance version, the 1.5 GTi. It is distinguishable externally by slightly different rear light clusters and other minor changes. Under the skin it used Alfa Romeo Alfasud -based components including
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#17327808535513016-710: Was fitted with two varieties of inline four-cylinder Nissan A-series OHV engines: Although the car used a Nissan engine, the powertrain dated back to Prince's original concept – which was in essence a copy of the "transmission-in-sump" layout pioneered by the British Motor Corporation in the Mini . Consequently, this gave the E10 a very distinctive transmission whine which was characteristic of this mechanical configuration. The Japanese domestic market Cherry X-1 model featured twin-carburetted A12T engine with dual-sidedraft Hitachi carburettors. In Europe,
3074-624: Was introduced in September 1982. The new model was somewhat larger than earlier versions of the Cherry, with the new Micra taking its place in the supermini sector on its European launch in June 1983, leaving the Cherry to compete in Europe against the new-popular hatchback designs like the Ford Escort and Volkswagen Golf , while the Sunny gave buyers a traditional saloon and estate option. Wheelbase and track all increased by about 20 mm (0.8 in). While being somewhat larger, Nissan lowered
3132-542: Was offered in the Japanese market in the B310 Sunny. The A15 is a 1.5-liter (1,487 cc) engine produced from 1979 till 2009 where it was used in the Malaysian Vanette C22. The stroke was increased by 5 mm from the A14 engine to now measure 82 mm, while the bore remained 76 mm. It produces 80 PS (59 kW; 79 hp). It used only a different block casting number, but retained
3190-441: Was offered in the front-wheel-drive Nissan Cherry X-1. An overbored version of the A12 was used in period race cars, including Nissan factory ( works ) racing Sunnys . Many were overbored from the original 73 mm (2.9 in) to 76.76 mm (3.022 in) using Tomei forged pistons for a displacement of 1,296 cc (79.1 cu in), while others used 76 mm (3.0 in) Datsun Competition forged pistons, for
3248-420: Was sold where tax regulations suited smaller engines, and was usually only offered with the lowest (DX) trim and a four-speed manual transmission. The little 1-litre engine had a higher fuel consumption figures than either the 1.3 or the 1.5, as it had to work a lot harder to keep up with traffic. A diesel model arrived in export markets in early 1983. In 1985 Belgian buyers also received a special edition combining
3306-500: Was the most common model, with the coupe only being available in A12 format in the UK where it sold in higher numbers. In New Zealand the 100A 4-door sedan (1.0L A10 motor) was assembled from CKD kits as a price leader for the Datsun range – due to the choice of engine, it was the smallest engined car assembled in New Zealand, the engine (988 cc) being smaller than the Mini 's 998 cc unit. Production continued well after
3364-492: Was to mass-produce a front-engine, front-wheel drive car. Subsequent to the Prince and Nissan merger of 1966, the Cherry was released in 1970 as Nissan's first front-wheel drive car instead. In Asian markets there was also a " Cherry Cab " cabover truck model (C20), which was closely related to the Nissan Sunny — it was also marketed as the "Sunny Cab". The E10 generation featured four-wheel independent suspension . The E10
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