D Car — November 2003

S15 interior

…this is a defining feature of the S15. Round air vents, commonly seen in recent Japanese cars, first appeared on this Silvia…

Simple lines, but an interior that stirs a sporting spirit!

The materials and design are not especially elaborate, but the S15 is known for a sturdy, muscular, sporty dashboard…

↑ A factory-option navigation system could be built into the center console. The interior has a strong, purposeful ‘workplace for a man’ feel.

The Silvia was a pioneer in this class. Its steering wheel is about 370 mm in diameter, an ideal size for sporty driving. The seat shape provides firm support while also making the shift lever easy to operate.

↑ The front seats use firm, clearly contoured surfaces for a sporty design. The seat fabric is sporty as well…

…in style.

36-58

↑ A practical trunk provides storage space for a coupe. The trunk-through opening can be accessed from either the trunk or the cabin…

Space is limited, but it has the essentials: a cup holder, an instrument-panel center pocket, and other small-item storage.

…had been…

S14 interior

…the press release at the time described it that way. In reality, the design resembled the Sunny and Bluebird of the era. Its sportiness was a little lacking, and the perceived quality was not especially high…

…which was a drawback.

The interior lacked both sportiness and specialty-car character, and looked conventional. It aimed to combine the enveloping feel of a wide, low cabin with an airy sense of space, creating a sporty, comfortable interior…

L

It is so conventional you might wonder if the design team was asleep. On the other hand, it is easy to use, but the interior can feel a little half-hearted. That may make it a good canvas for customization.

↑ The seats look more luxurious than sporty, but they still provide proper support.

↑ The rear seat has a one-piece backrest that folds down to create a pass-through to the trunk. ↑ The S13’s head-up display, which shows vehicle speed, continued to be offered.

…it can be used that way.

S13 interior

…as a specialty car. The driver’s seat feels tight and cockpit-like.

A cocoon-like space for two! The gently curved dashboard and soft-touch seat upholstery create a special atmosphere for this entry-class coupe designed for couples…

↑ A flowing interior centered on curved surfaces, with smoothly shaped, integrated seats that emphasize elegance.

Sport-compact Academy — Lesson 3

Menu

File

PART 2

S13 model

History

May 1988–October 1993

SFLS

Lineage chart

It defeated its rival, the Prelude, and became a major success. Apart from increasing engine displacement, the minor update involved only minimal changes.

From a major success to trial and error: a turbulent history!

Nissan

model

October 1993–January 1999

S14

The S14 shifted toward luxury and alienated buyers who wanted a sports car.

Sales slumped sharply, prompting a bold facelift. The twin headlights look quite dramatic. The rear view is small…

Change…

It disappeared as the coupe market shrank, to the regret of its fans.

Silvia

model

S15

January 1999–August 2002. It was a superb design, and Nissan deliberately returned it to the five-number body-width class to improve handling…

…improved it.

The S13 was the most successful generation in Silvia history. The S14 was developed to follow that success, but the coupe boom was already ending. Nissan moved it upmarket, and sales slumped. A later facelift came too late. The final S15 returned to a fully sporting direction and achieved the best handling in Silvia history.

In fact… there was an open-top model!!

Silvia convertible

Both models use an electrically operated roof. The Varietta has a hardtop, so its luggage space is minimal…

…was.

Silvia Varietta

A rare model produced in limited numbers

When people think of a coupe-convertible in this class, Toyota’s Celica is well known, but Nissan also…

Autech, a Nissan-affiliated company, developed an open-top version based on the Silvia. The S13 used a soft top, while the S15 adopted a hard roof. Its selling point was coupe-like comfort with the roof closed.

…did so.

99