Nissan Sunny 1500 SGL Extra
The B11 Sunny turned Nissan's familiar family sedan sideways: a transverse 1.5-litre engine now pulled the front wheels, creating more cabin room and a new global Sentra connection.
1982 Japanese Nissan Sunny HB11 1500 SGL Extra four-door sedan, five-speed manual · Jirapat Chroenkeskij · CC0 1.0
Research pending
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More than a set of wheels.
Nissan launched the B11 Sunny in October 1981. It was the family's fifth generation and its decisive move from rear- to front-wheel drive. Nissan's Heritage Collection describes the B11 as the company's third front-drive product line after the Pulsar and Violet Liberta. Its preserved 1982 1500 SGL Extra represents the popular centre of the range, while the same generation reached the United States as the first Nissan Sentra. This profile scopes a separately documented five-speed SGL Extra configuration without claiming that Nissan's museum car itself has that gearbox.
Look a little closer.
This B11 generation turned the long-running Sunny family from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
The day the Sunny's mechanical map changed
Moving to front-wheel drive meant more than changing which tires did the pulling. Nissan turned the engine sideways, eliminated the long propeller shaft to a rear axle and redesigned the suspension around the new layout. The payoff was packaging: a modest outer shell could reserve more of its length for the passenger compartment. That makes the B11 an architectural milestone even though its styling is restrained.
Source: Nissan Heritage Collection — Sunny 1500 SGL Extra ↗A Japanese grade with a global afterlife
The SGL Extra connects domestic and export history. Nissan calls the preserved 1.5-litre sedan the best-selling version at the time, while the B11 generation also became the first Sunny sold in the United States as the Nissan Sentra. The car therefore marks two transitions at once: rear-drive to front-drive engineering, and the growing use of Nissan's global name.
Source: Nissan Heritage Collection — Sunny 1500 SGL Extra ↗Where these facts come from
- Nissan Heritage Collection — Sunny 1500 SGL Extra
- Nissan corporate chronology — 1980s
- Nengun OEM catalog mirror — Nissan Sunny B11
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 4, 2026.