Nigel Mansell, Pete Sampras and Michael Jordan—what do these guys have in common?  They’re great athletes in their respective fields, but all three didn’t know when to quit.  Anyone who’s old enough, for example, will remember Mansell’s dismal last year in Formula One, a year when McLaren said that he was too fat to even fit into the cockpit.  And like past champions who had far too much gut (and ego) to call it quits, the Nissan Cefiro is surging ahead as a model for 2005—approximately two years after its sell-by date.

Let’s point out the obvious: the Cefiro hasn’t always been on the ho-hum list.  In the past, when it was still based on the venerable Skyline, it offered an inline-6 to match its rear-wheel drive layout.  It was, for the most part, the Japanese version of America’s muscle car.  When Nissan consolidated the Maxima and Cefiro into a single model, the result was a car that rocked in the industry in 1995.  Media outfits agreed with Nissan when it was dubbed the ‘four-door sports car’.  It had enough oomph to battle the more expensive European automobiles (even the ones with larger engines) while having more interior room, better ride and a quieter cabin.

When the Philippines witnessed the return of the Cefiro in 1997, it was a commercial success overnight.  The combination of a potent 2.0-liter V6 engine, roomy cabin and high equipment levels made it the default choice for executives.  It was still pummeling its rivals on the sales charts when it was refreshed.  It gained even more equipment, some of which are industry firsts including an audio/video entertainment system and a power moon roof, while maintaining an affordable price tag.  A full body change in 2002 added even more equipment such as an analogue clock, tufted leather seats and fine-meter gauges.  Despite being more crisp and refined, the high admission price meant that the competition gained ground.

It was this situation that confronted Nissan Motor Philippines (NMPI) when it unveiled the 2005 Cefiro.  It was a surprising and bold move since it was unveiled during the mid-year of 2004.  Given that the current Cefiro platform is a decade old and an all-new model, dubbed Teana, was making waves elsewhere, everyone expected to finally see the current body to retire.  This wasn’t the case.  NMPI decided to stick it out for yet another year with the same body and platform that has been proven to be popular as a rental car.  The difference though for this so-called ‘new’ model is an enlarged V6 engine.  With 3.0-liters of displacement packing 220 horses now available and a price tag approximately two hundred thousand pesos less, Nissan hoped to gain the market it once ruled.

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