Nissan's large family car from 1990 to 2008, its Infiniti G20 twin, its British touring car titles and the 2026 battery model that revived the name.
Sold from 1990 to 2008, the Primera was a family car with front-wheel drive. Nissan also sold it as the Infiniti G20 in North America, and a battery electric model based on the N7 revived the name in 2026.
The Nissan Primera was a large family car that Nissan produced from 1990 to 2008 for Japan and Europe. In North America its counterpart was sold as the Infiniti G20. Nissan revived the nameplate in 2026 for a battery electric sedan based on the N7.
The car replaced the UK Bluebird in September 1990, only months after its Japanese launch in February 1990. The name comes from the Spanish word for first, in its feminine form.
What was the Nissan Primera?
The Nissan Primera was a front-wheel-drive large family car built by Nissan from 1990 to 2008. It replaced the Auster and Stanza in Japan and the Bluebird in the United Kingdom. Nissan also sold a North American version as the Infiniti G20, and a battery electric Primera returned in 2026.
The Japanese launch came in February 1990, but the design was specifically aimed at European buyers. Nissan showed the Primera X concept at the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show as part of Project 901, its performance vision for 1990.
Before the Primera, Bluebirds had been built since 1986 at Nissan's Washington plant in England, as rebadged versions of the Japanese Auster and Stanza. The Primera gave Europe a car that was designed for the market from the start.
A family car designed for Europe from the start, which ran for eighteen years before its name went quiet.
How did the first-generation Primera launch?
Nissan introduced the first-generation Primera in Japan in February 1990 and replaced the UK Bluebird that September. It used a conventional front-wheel-drive chassis with a five-speed manual gearbox, and some versions could be ordered with a four-speed automatic.
The UV.X concept car appeared at the 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show, alongside the Primera X in Tokyo. Both pointed toward the production car, which Nissan then built for a broad range of European markets.
Bodystyles were four-door and five-door saloons. A five-door estate, the Primera Traveller, was offered only in Japan and was based on the sheet metal of the Nissan Avenir. Apart from the UK GT, only the four-door model was sold in Japan.
Which engines did the first Primera offer?
The first Primera used 1.6-litre carbureted, 1.8-litre and 2.0-litre injection petrol engines. A 2.0-litre diesel arrived in Europe in 1992, and a 1.6-litre injection petrol followed at the end of 1993.
The 1.8 began life as a single point injection model called the SR18Di, and it was never sold with left-hand drive or in continental Europe. A multi point version with more power was added in 1991.
A rare Autech-tuned version was built for Japan, with a tuned SR20DE 2.0-litre making 180 PS (132 kW). The standard 2.0-litre petrol received a power upgrade in 1992, giving 150 PS (110 kW) and a claimed top speed of 219 km/h (136 mph) for the eGT.
How were the European trims arranged?
Six grades were offered when the range launched: L, LS, SLX, GS, GSX and ZX. The 1.6-litre unit featured in L, LS and LSX, and the ZX was fitted with the larger 2.0-litre petrol unit, rated 150 PS (110 kW; 148 hp).
From 1992 a facelift brought a new set of grades: L, LX, SLX, SGX and eGT, which swapped out the launch naming. The eGT became the sporting version, with the 150 PS engine, while the SRi warm hatch joined the lineup in 1994 with either a 1.6 or 2.0-litre petrol engine.
From 1994 Equation replaced the basic L as the entry trim, and the SE replaced the SGX. A 4x4 option known as the T4 in Japan used the 150 PS DOHC engine, and it was rare in Europe.
What changed in the second generation?
The second-generation Primera, codenamed P11, launched in Japan at the end of 1995 and reached Europe in the autumn of 1996. It was unique in its class for its multi-link front and multi-link beam rear suspension, and it was sold as a hatchback, saloon and estate in Europe.
Japanese cars were narrower, at 1,695 mm (66.7 in), so they stayed within the compact class tax bracket. The UK-built hatchback, the Primera UK GT, was sold in Japan from November 1997 with the SR20DE engine and automatic transmission.
The 1999 facelift brought projector headlamps and the flying wing grille, and it added the 1.8-litre QG18DE lean burn engine to the range. Production of the second generation ended in June 2002.
Why was the Primera sold as the Infiniti G20?
Nissan sold the North American version as the Infiniti G20 from 1998 until 2002. The G20 used the same grille and rear lamp changes as the Primera Camino, and it was positioned as the entry-level luxury sports sedan for the Infiniti brand.
In 2002 the G20 was replaced by a rebadged version of the Nissan Skyline V35, sold as the Infiniti G35. The third-generation Primera had no Infiniti equivalent, which ended the Primera's North American life.
What did the third generation bring?
The third-generation P12 Primera arrived in Japan on 30 January 2001 and was styled more radically than its predecessors. It was Nissan's first all-new car since its alliance with Renault began two years earlier, and it made its European debut at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show.
New Zealand cars from 2002 were all fitted with continuously variable transmissions, with no manual option. A 1.6-litre petrol engine joined the line in March 2003, and a common-rail diesel and a smaller 1.9 dCi of Renault origin followed.
The six-speed manual Primera 20V used Nissan's SR20VE Neo VVL engine, with variable valve lift and timing. It produced 150 kW (204 PS) at 7,200 rpm and 206 Nm (152 lb ft) at 5,200 rpm.
Did the Primera race in touring cars?
Yes. The factory-backed RML team won the British Touring Car Championship manufacturers' and teams' titles in 1998 and 1999, and the Independents' Cup went to the Primera in 1999 and 2000.
Nissan UK celebrated the 1998 wins with a limited edition of 400 GTSE models, and the 1999 clean sweep with the GTLE edition. Both carried special trim and interior finishes that reflected the racing success.
Why was there no direct replacement?
Falling sales led to the Primera's withdrawal from sale in the UK in November 2006, and left-hand drive production continued until 2007. Nissan did not launch a direct replacement, because the Qashqai crossover had become a major success in Europe.
Speculation in the motoring press suggested an Altima-based successor, but a Sentra-based prototype was seen testing in Germany in August 2006. The Sentra that followed was built in Spain for European buyers.
Japanese production of right-hand drive Primeras also continued until 2007. Twelve brand new cars later appeared in Ireland in 2010, after sitting in storage since 2006.
Earlier plans for a Primera successor, aimed at some European markets, were set aside in favour of the Qashqai's success. Right-hand drive production had run until 2007 as well, so the car's final years overlapped in both markets.
What is the 2026 Primera EV?
The 2026 Primera EV is a rebadged N7 battery electric sedan that reused the Primera nameplate. Nissan unveiled it in the Philippines on 4 June 2026, bringing the name back after the original production run ended in 2008.
The car is a rebadged N7 rather than a direct successor to the original Primera, so the name now stands for a battery electric model rather than a petrol family car.
Nissan Primera specifications
The table covers the main figures for the car across its generations and the 2026 revival. Where a figure belongs to one engine or market, the table says so.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Years built | 1990 to 2008 |
| Engines (first generation) | 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 petrol; 2.0 diesel from 1992 |
| Top speed (2.0 eGT) | 219 km/h (136 mph), claimed |
| Width (Japanese cars) | 1,695 mm (66.7 in) |
| Third generation output | 150 kW (204 PS) at 7,200 rpm |
| Revival model | Primera EV, unveiled 4 June 2026 |
What were the New Zealand and South African builds?
Nissan had an assembly operation in New Zealand until 1998, when import tariffs on cars were lifted. In Wiri, Auckland, the P11 Primera was assembled between 1997 and 1998 with the 110 kW (150 PS; 148 hp) SR20DE engine.
The locally built cars came in four trims, S, SE, SES and SEL. The Japanese-made Primeras that replaced them received a one-piece chrome grille from the Primera Camino, US-style taillights and the new GX and GXE trims.
South Africa began local assembly from complete knock-down kits in September 1998, extending the car's reach beyond Europe and Japan.
Which limited editions did Nissan build?
Nissan UK released 400 GTSE models in 1998 with 16-inch AZEV alloy wheels, two-tone ChromaFlair Mystic green paint and green piping on the leather seats. A GTLE followed in 1999 with 16-inch Enkei alloys, silver piping and a choice of four colours.
Nissan New Zealand's Primera SMX, built with Steve Millen of Stillen Sports Parts, had cross-drilled brakes, Eibach springs and a more aggressive body kit. Its engine gained a free-flow exhaust and a K&N air filter, lifting power to 118 kW (160 PS; 158 hp). Only 26 cars were made, including the white prototype numbered 000.
The 2000 STCC edition for Scandinavia was lowered by 25 mm (1.0 in) and fitted with headlight goggles and a larger wing. Nissan built 1,000 of them.
What was the Primera Camino?
The Primera Camino was launched alongside the original Primera as a badge engineered model for different dealer networks. It shared the saloon's basic structure, giving dealers a second identity to sell under.
What did the 1999 facelift bring to each market?
The 1999 facelift gave entry-level models such as the S automatic climate control, driver, passenger and side airbags, while higher trims gained xenon headlamps. The update also brought projector headlamps and a new front design across much of the range.
Outside Europe the update was handled differently. It was not generally applied in Japan, where Nissan chose to formalise the fronts of the Primera and Camino to match the look of the American Infiniti version instead.
The facelifted car carried the code P11-144, and it introduced Nissan's new corporate identity front design with the flying wing grille, which was applied mainly to models sold outside Japan.
Frequently asked questions
Was the Nissan Primera sold in the United States?
Not under its own name. Nissan sold the car in the US as the Infiniti G20 from 1998 until 2002, and the G35 that followed was based on the Skyline V35.
How powerful was the Primera 20V?
The six-speed 20V version made 150 kW (204 PS) and 206 Nm (152 lb ft), with its peak power arriving at 7,200 rpm.
Is the Primera EV a new design?
No. It is a rebadged N7 sedan that Nissan unveiled in the Philippines on 4 June 2026.
When did the Primera leave the UK market?
The Primera was withdrawn from sale in the UK in November 2006, after falling sales. Left-hand drive production carried on until 2007.
