A super pretty Nissan Cefiro V6 sedan, seen at the Lido Hotel in northern Beijing in June 2015. It was part of a small fleet of four Cefiros, which was a fantastic sight. All four were in great shape and clearly still in active use. It was a hot summer’s day, so I took my time and photographed every car from every side. Here’s what I found:
Four Nissan Cefiro V6 sedans!
From left to right: Nissan Cefiro V6 sedans with the license plates 京E·53605, 京E·53607, 京E·53604, and 京E·53603. 京E was introduced around 1997 as one of Beijing’s early ordinary civilian registration series, so the E prefix is associated with the early years of Beijing’s rapid growth in private car ownership. “京” (jīng) is short for Běijīng. The four sedans were clearly part of the same fleet, which probably also included 京E·53606.
In the middle is a newer Jinbei Sealion passenger minivan, a luxury six-seat version. Most Sealion passenger vans had at least seven seats, and often more. The Jinbei has a 京Q license plate, a prefix commonly associated with company- and organization-owned vehicles.
I saw these cars in 2015, and even then, the Cefiro was already a pretty old car. But all four sedans were clean and very well maintained. The paint looked fresh, the light visors were clear, and all four still had their original alloy wheels. Absolutely fascinating.
I visited the Lido Hotel very often; there was a great beer shop there and plenty of bars nearby, but I had never seen these Cefiros there before, nor did I ever see them again. The hotel did operate an old Lexus LS400 as an airport taxi, but no Nissan Cefiros. My best guess is that the cars belonged to a fleet that brought participants to a meeting or conference.
The Nissan Cefiro
The Nissan Cefiro was a mid-size high-middle-class sedan. Nissan manufactured the second-generation Cefiro from 1994 to 1998. The model code was A32. It was also known as the Nissan Maxima QX and the Nissan QX. In Korea, Samsung used it as a base for the SM5 sedan.
The design of the Nissan Cefiro has aged very well, with simple yet elegant lines. The proportions are classic sedan, with a long hood and an equally long trunk section. The Cefiro doesn’t look very flashy, with just some tiny strips of chrome around the windows. All four cars still had the original 15-inch seven-spoke alloy wheels.
The Nissan Cefiro in China
Nissan officially sold the second-generation Cefiro in China, via Nissan Motor (China) Ltd, which was established in 1994 to handle the import-car business. However, it was not a modern-day import operation. Nissan used local agents for distribution, and most cars were sold via large markets, alongside cars from other brands. Government agencies and state-owned companies were the main buyers of this kind of sedan, with some going to large hotels and travel agencies. The Chinese name for the Cefiro was 风度 (Fēngdù), best translated as “Elegance”.
The interior
The interiors were all the same too: black leather with a classy faux-wood center stack. The leather was in good shape for such an old car, albeit slightly worn, and happily not covered by ugly seat covers.
Center stacks from the late 1990s are the best. Lots of tiny buttons and small screens, a real cigarette lighter, and an ashtray. Equipment includes a radio, cassette player, and CD player. Nissan’s Cefiro Super Sound System came with six speakers. Not much by today’s standards, but quite decent for the time. On the left side of the gear lever is the power/snow switch for the automatic transmission. Power holds the gears longer, while Snow starts the car in second gear to reduce wheelspin. There’s a lucky charm hanging from the mirror.
One of the other cars has the exact same interior – but it doesn’t have a lucky charm.
Window sticker
An old Beijing vehicle emissions inspection sticker on the windshield. The text at the bottom reads: 北京市环境保护局 (Běijīng Shì Huánjìng Bohù Jú), or Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau. The ZHB in the logo stands for 中国环境保护 (Zhōngguó Huánjìng Bohù), China Environmental Protection, which was commonly used in China’s environmental-protection identification process. Beijing’s environmental-sticker system itself goes back to 1999, so all cars from the 2000s and 2010s had one.
Specifications of the A32 Nissan Cefiro V6
The Chinese-market Cefiro was offered with the 2.0 and 3.0 V6 engines, both with 4-speed automatic transmissions, sending horsepower to the front wheels. Considering badges and trim level, the 2.0 V6 is the most likely engine here. The output was 155 hp and 186 Nm. The top speed was 200 km/h and 0-100 took about 11 seconds. The dimensions of the A32 Nissan Cefiro are 4760/ 1770/1410 mm, with a 2700 mm wheelbase.
Legacy
Nissan stopped using the Cefiro name in China around 2004. The final Chinese-market import Cefiro was the third-generation A33 model. In 2004, the locally produced Nissan Teana became the factual replacement for the Cefiro series. Today, there are still some A32 Cefiro sedans around. I regularly see some at second-hand car markets. But it is difficult now to keep ’em on the road due to China’s strict emission regulations, and parts are hard to get as well. I am not sure what happened to these four Cefiros at the Lido hotel; I hope they still sit somewhere in a company basement parking lot, waiting to be rediscovered once again.
