The Nissan Stanza began production in 1977 and ran for 15 years before it was discontinued in 1992. A compact car, the Stanza was available in four different body styles throughout much of its tenure. Whether the buyer purchased the 2-door coupe or the 5-door station wagon, there was plenty of room for an entire family of five to enjoy the ride. However, in its last generation, the Stanza was only available as a 4-door sedan.
After previously offering eight engines for the 1986 to 1990 T12 series, Nissan equipped the final 1990 to 1992 U12 Series with just one engine type. The 2.4 liter KA24E I4 engine produced 138 horsepower and 148 foot-pounds of torque. Assembly took place in Hiratsuka and Oppama, Japan, before Nissan discontinued the Stanza in favor of the compact Nissan Altima in 1993.
Each generation of Nissan Stanza models were called Series, such as the 710 Series, T11 Series, and so on. Nissan... View more unveiled the first-generation Stanza, the 710 Series, in 1971, followed by the A10 Series in 1977, and the T11 in 1981. Earlier models were smaller, faster cars also known as Datsuns; however, this small frame eventually evolved into a 4-door family car. The T12 Series of 1986 included a 5-door hatchback, which Nissan marketed in Europe as the Bluebird.
The Nissan Stanza's U12 Series, introduced in 1990, was essentially a reprisal of its Bluebird model, which had a longer body than previous Stanzas. Two trim levels were available from 1990 to 1992: the XE and GXE. Also, a sporty SE trim level was available in 1992, but it was equipped with the same 2.4 liter engine of the other two trim packages. Fuel economy for the final U12 Series in both 4-speed automatic and 5-speed manual transmissions was an average 18 mpg in the city and 25 on the highway.
Even though Nissan replaced the Stanza with the Altima in 1993, the company carried the name forward, dubbing the first new generation the Nissan Stanza Altima. Once the Altima had gained ground in the industry, Nissan dropped the Stanza appellation. As a fond farewell to the Nissan Stanza, IntelliChoice gave the 4-door XE sedan the Best Overall Value of the Year Award in 1992 View less
