My first test drive of the new Nissan Pulsar was on Spanish roads but there’s nothing to beat a lengthy test on home soil to put a car through its paces. The Pulsar is a mid-size hatchback taking the place of the popular Almera and less interesting Tiida. It is leaps and bounds ahead of the Tiida – both in styling and performance. This is a modern, good-looking car.

After a week and 1,600km behind the wheel, the Pulsar impressed for its driving appeal, good space, especially rear legroom, and relatively good economy.

It delivers a combination of comfort and road holding with adequate power from its Nissan-Renault alliance 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine. The rated economy figure for the diesel model is 27km/litre (3.6l/100km or 78 mpg), which I failed to achieve.

My driving style returned a figure of 18.7km per litre (5.35 l/100km or 53mpg), which is probably what is more typical for the car. That’s about 30% lower than the rated economy level. That’s still a good economy performance as I was achieving more than 850km from a full 46-litre diesel tank. Not many of the competition can match this economy.

On paper, some of the competition, such as the Volkswagen Golf, claim better economy, but in reality the 30% difference between the quoted economy figure and the actual driving experience is probably realistic. The Ford Focus, Peugeot 308 and Toyota Auris cannot match the Pulsar’s levels. This car should be cheap to own with a low 95g/km CO2 rating, helped by a smooth start/stop system. This gives an annual road tax cost of just €180. Add to that the lengthy 30,000km service interval and this will be competitive to own.

The latest generation diesel engine in the new Pulsar impressed for its smoothness, quietness and performance. It is matched to an equally smooth six-speed gearbox that’s easy to use with a light clutch.

Behind the steering wheel, this car feels modern and has an impressive layout with good seating and steering wheel adjustment. The stylish centre console appears to float on top of the main dashboard. This houses the Pulsar’s NissanConnect infotainment system and heating and ventilation controls.

The Pulsar comes packed with safety features. Many of the features are included as standard in the Nissan Safety Shield system. Lane departure warning is just one of them. This detects if the Pulsar is starting to drift out of lane. Using a camera, it detects faint road markings, allowing the car to determine if it is drifting out of position without indicating. When it does, a warning is given to the driver to correct their road position. Nissan claims that the system automatically adjusts its sensitivity when on rural roads to allow for the different required driving style. I have to admit that there were times on some of these roads that I had to disengage the lane departure warning button as it’s accuracy was getting to the annoying stage.

I loved the Nissan reversing camera and the Nissan around view monitor system. Nissan has a new camera for this system that has a self-cleaning lens, making reversing a dream. Bluetooth is standard, as well as auxiliary input and USB slots.

The Nissan Pulsar is one of the most spacious cars in its class. Sit into the rear seat and you’ll see the difference. Nissan has found the extra space by lengthening the car’s wheelbase relative to the competition. And there’s reasonable headroom too.

The Pulsar economy, coupled with impressive style and great rear passenger legroom, pushes the car close to the top for me when it comes to mid-size hatchback choices. It is also one of the most compact cars in terms of length, making it easy to manoeuvre. There is good front and rear visibility.

The entry price for the diesel version is €21,595 and that’s competitive. There are lots of options to make you Pulsar choice distinctive, even if the car’s good looks are not enough for you.

Nissan Pulsar dCi

Engine 1.5L D

Engine power 110bhp

0-100km/hr 11.5sec

Economy 27km/l

Fuel tank capacity 46 litres

CO2 emissions 94g/km

Road tax €180

Service interval 30,000km

Towing rating 1,200kg

Warranty 3 years

Entry price €21,595

NI price £17,695