Nissan hints at electric 200SX Silvia revival for affordable sports car segment – report
The man in charge of global product planning for Nissan says there may be an affordable electric sports car on the way from the company, and hopes it reignites a passion for cars among young people.
More evidence has emerged of Nissan's plan to bring back the 200SX sports coupe – badged overseas as the Nissan Silvia – to compete against the Toyota GR86, Subaru BRZ, and Mazda MX-5.
Speaking to the UK's Top Gear magazine, Nissan Senior Vice President of Global Product Planning, Ivan Espinosa, said the Japanese company had always had a three-tiered sports car line-up which included an affordable option for younger buyers.
"I’m not sure about a hot hatch, but maybe a smaller electric sports car you could think of. Something smaller, a bit more affordable. Definitely," Mr Espinosa told Top Gear.
"We’ve always had the GT-R, we’ve always had Z, and we’ve always had an [entry-level sports car] – either a hot hatch like Pulsar, or something else down there [at that price and performance point]. And this today is something that we kind of miss."
The 200SX hasn't been sold in Australia since 2003, but unconfirmed reports of its return have continued to circulate ever since it went out of production – with speculation increasing in recent years.
In December 2022, the CEO of Nismo – Nissan's high-performance arm – confirmed the company was working on an "exciting" electric or hybrid model which wasn't related to the Z and the GT-R.
In January 2022, Japan's Best Car reported Nissan was working on an electric Silvia after concept sketches released by the company "drew a lot of attention" and "triggered a revival of the Silvia [as a] pure [electric vehicle]".
Between the late 1980s and the early 2000s, the 200SX/Silvia was powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine powering the rear wheels – making it a popular model for vehicle modifiers and those participating in drifting events.
"Now how do we move into the future: ideally – this is my product planner dream – to keep these three elements as our sportscar offering. A top-of-the-line GT-R with its Nismo variant, a Z with its Nismo variant, and an entry-level car with its Nismo variant as well. This could be a kind of ideal sportscar offering," Mr Espinosa told Top Gear this week.
"I’m not sure it’s a hatch, but something that’s a bit more of an entry point for younger buyers – an early 20s kind of customer that’s passionate about cars."
Mr Espinosa says the enthusiasm for cars among younger generations is waning, and wants to help turn the tide with an affordable sports car.
"This is one of the things that can make the flame come back again."