Nissan Almera Gains Android Auto Connectivity

It seems the Nissan Almera has gained a small yet critical update - Android Auto support.

Local Nissan assemblers and distributors Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) have taken to social media last weekend to reveal arguably a critical update to its Nissan Almera B-segment sedan offering. Based on said post, it appears that the Almera’s 8-inch infotainment unit has gained Android Auto now.

We’ve tested the Almera previously and noted that said head unit, primed in the mid-specced VLP and range-topping VLT variants specifically, only offered wired Apple CarPlay. A quick chat with an authorised ETCM sales consultant from an ETCM showroom nearby our office earlier today also bore some details.

According to our source, ETCM began rolling out Almera units primed with this upgrade earlier this month (Aug). Our source also indicated that the Almera’s head unit hardware hasn’t changed from before, thus leading us to assume that the newly added Android Auto support was enabled via a firmware update.

Based on ETCM's latest post, the 8-inch touchscreen unit primed in the VLP and VLT variants now offer Android Auto connectivity on top of Apple CarPlay - both wired.

This is indeed good news for prospecting buyers as the upgrade allows the Almera to stand somewhat on par with some of its key rivals. Included amongst which are the recently face-lifted Honda City, new AC100-gen Toyota Vios, and perhaps the Mazda2 Sedan too.

As for owners with Almera units delivered prior to this upgraded infotainment unit’s recent roll-out, things are unclear at the moment. We’ve reached out to ETCM to ascertain if the same firmware update will be granted to these Almera units via its service centres, but the firm has yet to respond at the time of writing.

The Almera was first introduced locally back in 2020, marking the start of a new generation of B-segment sedans in the local market.

To refresh your memory, the second-gen Nissan Almera B-segment sedan as we know it first debuted locally back in Sept 2020 before officially going on sale in Nov 2020. It brought forth massive upgrades over its predecessor, most notably being its fully redesigned aesthetics and an all-new powertrain.

The Almera range is powered by a 1.0-litre 3-cyl turbo petrol mill paired with a CVT automatic box, the former supplying 100 PS and 152 NM to the front wheels via the latter. Another key upgrade was the inclusion of the Nissan Intelligent Mobility (NIM) suite of active driver assist (ADAS) in the VLT range-topper.

Refreshed and face-lifted Almera launched in Thailand earlier this year. It's entry into Malaysia remains unclear for the moment.

Though a refreshed and face-lifted version of the Almera has gone on sale in neighboring Thailand starting May this year, it seems uncertain that we’ll see said version of the Almera launched in our market just yet – more so given this latest update enabling Android Auto connectivity.

Presently, the Almera retails from RM83,888 (VL), RM89,888 (VLP), and RM95,888 (VLT) sans insurance or the sporty Tomei Package option ETCM introduced about a year ago.