The first generation of the Nissan Primera was about to change, but the Japanese carmaker tried to boost its sales with a facelift, two years before it switched to the second generation.
The Primera was designed especially for the European market. The car appeared in 1990 and, in the beginning, the clients were not very impressed, but soon the British customers and the Europeans found that it was a good, agile, reliable vehicle. In its five-door version, it fought well in the compact-segment against other hatchbacks.

In 1994, Nissan’s design department refreshed the car’s look with a new front fascia and broader headlights. The grille was split in two, separated by a horizontal slat wearing the Nissan’s badge. Depending on the trim option, the Primera featured body-colored door handles and mirrors, which was not so standard on other European vehicles in the compact-segment. In the back, the tailgate opened together with the rear window, and it was considered as a two-and-a-half bodywork.

Inside, Nissan was ready to embrace the biodesign era, which was about to begin. Its rounded instrument cluster was continued on the center stack, slightly tilted towards the driver. A big safety improvement was the standard driver airbag.

Under the hood, Nissan introduced a refreshed engine lineup that offered more power. The only engine that was provided the same figures as the non-facelifted version was the 2.0-GT. Nissan tried the diesel segment as well and offered a 2.0-liter unit, but it was already outdated in terms of performance.