1999 Nissan Primera Sedan Photos, engines & full specs

Nissan refreshed the second generation of the Primera lineup for the 1999 model year in an attempt to boost sales of its mid-size vehicle that was offered in three body styles.

The four-door sedan was one of the most important body versions of the Primera's second generation. Nissan claimed that along with the upgrade, it changed or improved more than 600 parts of the vehicle. Furthermore, since the styling was the one that was most often criticized by customers, the automaker drastically improved that, even though it knew that soon it would have to replace the model entirely with a new generation.

Nissan came late to the bio-design party when it launched the Primera's second generation and tried to recover with the facelifted version. As a result, the car's front fascia revealed the reshaped headlights that were curved on their upper areas and pinched down on their inner side. The corner-mounted turn signals were on the upper outer area. The grille integrated into the hood sported the company's new identity design language, "flying wing." Lower, on the apron, customers could get a pair of fog lamps that flanked a broad rectangular air intake.

From its profile, the Primera Sedan sported body-colored door mirrors and handles, while the side sills were black to create a slimmer look for the vehicle. But still, the short and tall deck out back remained identical to the one offered on the 1996 Primera. The automaker offered the car in a few trim levels, where the lowest ones got steel wheels with caps, while the range-topper was available with Xenon headlights. Finally, at the back, the facelifted Primera N11 had smoked taillights that emerged from the quarter panels onto the trunk's lid.

Nissan worked hard to improve the car's interior. The dashboard was more rounded than the non-facelifted version, and the automaker covered it with a soft-touch plastic material. As a result, the perceived quality of the cabin rivaled some premium cars from that era. Moreover, the center stack integrated the stereo, which was available with a CD changer and tape player. Lower, the Primera sported the HVAC control panel. Fronting the driver was a rounded-shaped instrument cluster that Nissan filled with large dials for the speedometer and tachometer and two smaller gauges for the fuel level and coolant temperature. The front passengers sat on comfortable, velour-covered bucket seats. At the same time, those in the back shared a bench seat fit for three adults, although the middle-seated one didn't have enough legroom.

Under the hood, Nissan added a new 1.8-liter gasoline engine that was already Euro 3 compliant. The automaker offered the car with either a five-speed manual transmission, a four-speed automatic, or a CVT, depending on the engine. All versions sent their power to the front wheels only.