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IN the
old days, men were the sole purveyors of ego when it
came to automobiles. Well, times have changed. There are
now a lot of female drivers on the road (including this
writer) and, surprisingly, many of us like driving sleek
cars rather than SUVs or minivans that make us look like
working moms.
Recently, I was given a taste of what it’s like to get
behind the wheel of a real looker of a car, the new
Nissan Teana. The timing could not have been perfect.
My husband was in Tokyo and our kids were not home, so I
had a chance to spend quality time with Nissan Motor
Philippines Inc.’s (NMPI) flagship model.
NMPI
says that the Teana was designed around the concept of
“comfort and relaxation”—something that proved to be
true.
Great drive.
The Teana truly
embodies comfort and relaxation.
For
starters, the Teana has a keyless entry system that
doesn’t require you to push a button on the key holder.
When you’re within range of the car’s sensors and even
if the key holder is inside your purse or pocket, all
you have to do is push a button on the door handle to
lock or unlock the doors. No fumbling with the key!
This intelligent lock system also allows you to start
the engine without inserting the key in the ignition
slot.
Once
you’re behind the wheel, which can be adjusted for slide
and tilt, you will immediately notice that the driver’s
seat is soft and comfortable—I don’t like seats that are
tight or cramped and hard to adjust. On the Teana, this
can be done by simply pushing buttons on the left side
of the driver’s seat. Very convenient and easy! Another
thing that I like about the vehicle is its elegant wood
trim, leather seats and panels that remind you of a
high-class office or sitting room.
When
backing up, the LCD screen, which normally displays
information such as air-conditioning temperature
settings, radio station you’re listening to and the
like, switches over to rear-view mode, which shows you
live video of the area behind the car. There are lines
on the screen that help you to park exactly in the
middle of any parking slot and prevent you from running
over the family pet or bumping into an object behind
you.
When you
hit the road, the Teana is very smooth and relaxing. It
is very light to drive, yet fast and economical, despite
its large gasoline engine, which you can hardly hear
even when you’re accelerating.
I’m sure
you’ve heard of women needing their living space inside
the car. That applies to me, too, as I like bringing my
dresser and closet with me most of the time (that’s
figuratively, of course). In this regard, I simply love
the Teana because of the space—lots of it—that it has in
the cabin and in the trunk.
Safety,
too, is one of the things that I like about the car.
Aside from ABS, the Teana also has Vehicle Dynamic
Control, or VDC, which helps you retain control of the
car in difficult driving conditions such as in heavy
rain or slippery surfaces. One of my favorite features
is when I turn the steering wheel to the left or right,
lights on the sides of the car turn on automatically,
which is amazing when driving at night!
The
Teana has been billed as an executive’s car, but after
taking it out for a spin, I believe that it’s also a car
for women who no longer buy into the idea that being a
housewife or belonging to a certain age class requires
that they drive a van, AUV or SUV. It’s truly a great
car to drive to work, shopping or having lunch with
friends.
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