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Nissan Axxess is sporty mini-van alternative ven when it was launched. Iii, Nissan‘s t'tvc-passenger peo- 's,a plevan. the Axxess. never got the kind of respect it deserved Smaller than Magicwagon and Aerostar. but bigger than the likes of the Honda Wagonback. the Axxess was perhaps viewed by con- sumers as being neither fish nor fowl and sales didn't meet expecta- tions. This model year it was dropped in the US. but remains available in this country. Now that Nissan has a regular- sized peoplevan in the form of the Quest, many thought the Axxess might not be continued. as the five-passenger, compact, and 136 hp, 2.4-litre four-cylinder from sporting alternative. the 24OSX sport coupe. Front sus- And the Axxess can be surprise pension is MacPherson struts with inzlv snortv as my week with it was stabilizer bar. The rear suspension is And the Axxess can be surpris- ingly sporty as my week with it was to prove. By JIM ROBINSON Special to the Beaver After some serious looking at the market, Nissan has decided to fea- ture Quest as its normal seven pas- senger van while touting the Axxess The Axxess is a front-engined and offered for 1993 with front- wheel drive only. It uses the trusty Elantra receives performance boost The 1.8 litre engine exhibits much improved mid- range torque, giving the Elantra performance attributes more in tune with North American driving preferences (better "off-the-line" acceleration). Hyundai gives the 1.8 litre engine a 9.75% horse- power improvement and more importantly, a 13.75% increase in maximum torque. As well. peak torque is realized at a more relaxed 4,500 rpm compared to the 5,000 rpm with the 1.6 litre engine. Hyundai has also increased the sophistication of the engine package by adding dual rotating counter-bal- ance shafts to the 1.8 litre engine. The effect is to sig- nificantly reduce engine vibration and provide a smoother, more refined ride. f :he Hyundai Elantra. introduced to the E Canadian market in 1992, now boasts _ . increased performance and comfort for the 1993 model year, with a new. more powerful engine. CONTINUES TO END OF MARCH UP TO M.S.R.P. O.A.C. ON SPECIFIC MODELS OF TO 48 MONTHS. USE OUR NISSAN SMART MONEY THIS SPRING S?,,S9d.W,i 827-1177 bbm ft' an: 1450 SPEERS M. E l-s-a-L, WE ARE A CUSTOMERFIRST DEALERSHIP! a multi-link, independent system using very long control rods look- ing like something from a Williams Formula One car. INTEREST 'dyxLrasrsa-i trEAe SPEERS RD "'t 3 t a' o > .5 Additional "under the hood" changes include torque curve matching for the electronic transmission control unit. larger radiator, and changes to the engine's electronic control unit. Many other functional changes were included to incorporate the 1.8 litre. The upgraded 1.8 litre engine is available on the Elantra GL with automatic transmission and all GLS models. The final gear ratio has also been lowered for the automatic transmission to provide more relaxed high- way cruising and optimal fuel economy. The Elantra GL with the 5-speed manual transmis- sion retains the original 1.6 litre engine introduced last year The I993 Elantra also exhibits a new front grille and newly designed wheel covers for the GLS in addi- tion to the many features that gave the original model increased value for the money. Transmission choices include a fwe-speed manual or Nissan's super smooth four-speed electronic auto- matic. There are two trim levels starting with the base model or the fully- equipped SE. The SE interior has been measurably changed from the 1991 NISSAN KN} 1985 NISSAN KING 1 lWi(1'kiNukilfi 1993 Nissan Axxess emu 327-1177 Il,' 'Cs"':--'-' ElaiGl 1450 spams no. a LARESH0RER WE ARE A CUSTOMS-{FIRST DEALERSHIP! 1987 NISSAN MICRA blunt“ , 5L M, QUALITY USED CARS PRICED RIGHT! WUNED 0 CERTIFIED 0 GUARANTEED 315,995 $4,795 tulgi $4,995 Add Lic. + Taxes to all prices iliAll ikill Automotive W"?,--;;"."",'."'"',;'"';] "rr-arctic,""? "iiii' '54 1989 'I0Y0'lh'rfRCfi1 ojogr2a8g a: km rec m colour, cam-143A 88,995 1991 NNiAN STANZA 1989 NISSAN PULSAR 1992 version with one-piece seats and sculpted doors reminding me a lot of the interior of the 24()SX The shape is basically a box with a wedge nose. What's unusual are the sliding doors on both sides of the van which allow entry from the curb no matter which side of the 1992 NISSAN M) LE $12,995 $18595 OE W spews no i i ' tll/Ri Anemone an la course door As for stowage, I did the extend- ed playpen test carting my wife and two kids with overnight beds and bags all the way to London, Ont., and back with room to spare. Best part was the fuel economy on the trip. I hit 9.2 L/10()k for the return trip. Transport Canada rates the Axxess as 8.8 L/100k highway and road 11.9 L/lOOk city. Axxess features two captains chairs for the front seat passengers. The back seat is a 60/40 split bench which folds flat in one motion to create of 1,971 litres of stowage space My test vehicle was the Sportwagon SE with a host of as- standard features. Prices for the Axxess start at $16,990 for the base model with manual transmission and no options. The 1993 Axxess SE with automatic and sunroof package lists at $19,800. Floor mats add $102.29 and licence frames another $69.70. Air conditioning costs $1,383.85 bringing the grand total to $21,355.84. Considering the unladen SE in 0F OAKVILLE ONLY AT , HYUNDAI terrace Iincoln mercury sales \Ca / . Lease based on " month term OAC " equivalanl "ado Pius taxes Ho and mcluded 1M and In! Ions. 'paymanl May not in comblnld with any olhor lie. and mot. " _------------ 1993 Hyundai Elantra IB Eljlhlfllfl El [HEM WW9 LIMITED SUPPLY MI park on. There JIM DYSON m till-up, one-piec $174 we“. THE HYUNDAI 24 HOIIR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ti " um Mr. Richard Solwicki, President of Terrace Lincoln Mercury in Burlington, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jim Dyson as Used Car Manager. Jim's expertise in new & used, fleet & leasing is a welcome addition. This appointment is exemplary of our ongoing commitment to customer satisfaction and quality performance. " can out-accelerate many a sleepy 5,0-litre Mustang driver While it possesses some of the mechanicals of the 24(lSX, it's still more than l.6 metres tall so you have to approach corners expecting body roll. The multi-link rear and 195- series tires help a lot, and the frontal grip imparted by the viscous limited slip differential is going to please a lot of people. On the trip to London, we were not weighed down on the springs as I had feared. In fact, ride height felt the same and power was not seri- ously impaired despite an estimated 300 kg of family and accoutrements aboard. With my father in a wheelchair, I appreciate the dual side doors and ability to remove all or part of the back seat. That makes it great for those who need the versatility of a van, but not big size and big fuel thirst. . ,llIIOIn'dll md And all those people who wantLa van but they don't need seven & eight passenger capability (i.e. a young couple with a chalet), the Axxess really is a viable alternative. lub Auto, at there Wed 900 Walker's Line, Burlington MONTH* as tested) is 148 torques ( :elerale man 632-6252 M ma "dam Frolgh i! M n i] 140 k 39 YOU