THE Bluebird was released in October, 1993, to fill the medium- size gap in Nissan's range when the Australian manufacturing plant closed and the Pintara was discontinued.

The Bluebird was styled at Nissan's design centre in California and was a big success in the US.

In Australia it had to overcome the negative images left by the Pintara and its namesake of the 1980s, the rear-wheel drive Bluebird.

The Bluebird succeeded. It was a good all-round package with a competitive new price which made it a popular buy in the upper priced medium-size sector.

The Bluebird is a slightly narrower car than some of its direct competitors but does have generous rear seat knee and head room so can carry four adults in comfort and five at a squeeze.

The base model is the LX, next up is the sport/luxury orientated SSS and the luxury TI is the top of the range.

The SSS introduced Australian drivers to the head-up display which projected driver information onto the windscreen.

The LX is well equipped considering it was the base model with power steering, air-conditioning, central locking and electric windows all standard.

Safety equipment was improved in April, 1995, with the addition of a driver's airbag and better seatbelts but cruise control became an extra cost option.

The 2.4-litre, four-cylinder engine drives the front wheels and is one of the Bluebird's strong points. It is an up-to-date design with two overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and electronic fuel-injection.

The camshafts are chain-driven which is a more durable method than the more commonly used rubber belts.

The larger than normal engine for this class has a power output of 112kW at 5600rpm with good mid-range torque. This gives the Bluebird class-leading performance with either five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions.

The all-independent suspension has been set up for a ride and handling compromise biased towards sporty.

The 15-inch alloy wheels and wide-section tyres give the Bluebird plenty of grip and good primary safety with little if any loss of ride comfort.

The boot space is large but the small boot-lid opening and lack of a folding rear seat restricts access and the ability to cart bulky luggage.

The Bluebird makes sense for buyers who do not need a full- sized car and are looking for something with driver appeal, creature comforts and better than average performance without paying too big a penalty at the petrol pump.