That last point tries to excuse the Primera's soft-edged steering, which lacks the crisp, direct turn-in that makes the Mondeo a pleasure to punt through corners. The slack, reckons Nissan Man, means you're not making constant corrections to keep the Primera running straight and true. Can't say I've ever found this to be an issue; I'd rather the Primera were more alert to requests from the helm.

The trouble for keen drivers is that the Primera has grown up all over. Previously it was a little rough around the edges, but had a certain vitality. In a bid to serve the needs of motorway-tied company car drivers, the latest Primera is quieter, softer, and more refined. Nissan's launch video tried to hype-up the fun factor, when really they should have left the subject well alone.
Still, the Primera looks different without being over-the-top, its cabin is roomy, comfortable and quiet, and there are gadgets aplenty. A centrally mounted control module looks after a myriad functions including the ventilation, stereo, sat nav and (optional) phone ? although it brings more confusion than convenience.

The new 138bhp 2-litre four is reasonably lively but the chassis seems uncertain how to handle its vigour. There's torque-steer under heavy acceleration and the traction control tries to stop the inside front wheel spinning during hard cornering. On the six-speed 2-litre we drove, the ride was too soft for high-speed fun although the turbodiesel seemed better damped.

Pleasant though the Primera is, it's not the evo car it once was. Nissan will probably sell more as a result, but that doesn't mean it isn't a shame.