NISSAN hopes to grab a bigger slice of the ever expanding diesel-medium-car pie with the simple tactic of cranking up power but not price.

And to really put some wind in its sales - and the car’s interior - most Primeras get a standard electric sunroof, too.

So it’s out with the existing 126PS edition of Nissan’s 2.2-litre common rail diesel engine and in with a new 138PS version. The result is a diesel Primera that’s now as accelerative to 62 mph as its 2.0-litre petrol alternative. Yet it’s nigh on as fuel and tax efficient as the out-going 2.2Di.

A couple of months back, Nissan slashed £500 off the price of its Primera diesel range and said this was a permanent change. Well, it is - the 138PS Primera dCi (the new label that Nissan will be attaching to its entire common rail diesel range) is identically priced in S and SVE forms to the recently price slashed 126PS versions.

The S has just had a spec up with the standard additions of a 6” colour centre screen and rear electric windows. Now it’s the SVE’s turn. It gains audio controls mounted on the steering wheel and an electric glass sunroof that used to be a £500 option.

The price of the ultimate Primera dCi, the SVE Leather Pack, in fact comes down by £200. Nissan admits that the Primera SE edges up price-wise by £100 but customers will soon forget this when they see they’re getting an electric sunroof (worth £500), steering-wheel mounted remote audio controls and the new engine in return.

Nissan’s Primera dCi is another example of a diesel that isn’t just about economy. It’ll move to 62 mph in 9.8 seconds. The engine is Nissan’s own and is helped by a six-speed manual gearbox, to achieve 46.3 mpg on the combined cycle and a C02 mass emissions figure of 164 g/km. That number - the last bit of tech spec, we promise - translates into a mere 19 per cent BIK band (including three per cent diesel penalty) for the upcoming 2003/4 tax year. If all that sounds a bit complex, Nissan’s intention shouldn’t. The company wants the Primera to offer customers a higher powered and better equipped diesel alternative for the same price as lesser powered others.