It retained the rack-and-pinion steering of the Cherry, as well as the independent suspension with coilover struts in front and coil sprung trailing arms at the rear.

[7] An unusual feature at the time of introduction was the split folding rear seat fitted to better equipped models, increasing versatility.

[10] A late-term facelift in March 1981 brought Nissan's newly developed OHC E-series engines in for the last twelve months of production, which also introduced the more conventional (and industry standard) drivetrain with an end-on transmission with unequal length driveshafts - the A-Series engine cars continued to use the transmission-in-sump layout that had been used in the previous generation Cherry models.

In Japan the five-door van received the VN10 chassis code when shown in November 1978, but was then re-released in August 1979 in a version which met the 1979 commercial vehicle emissions standards — this model was designated VN11.

[11] The van was unusual in the Japanese market for the period in being front-wheel drive; Nissan made the most of this and gave it a special rear suspension to allow for a very low loading floor.

The three-door GX was unusual in receiving manual, remotely controlled (from the center console, behind the parking brake) rear side windows.

For 1981 the Pulsar received a facelift in North America, with a sloping, horizontal bar grille and rectangular headlights in place of the previous round units.

[15] Some unusual options were carried over from the previous generation, such as having the rear locks (on four-door models) remote operated by cable from the front seat.

[25] The next update came in August 1984[22] alongside a badge engineered twin, the Holden Astra (LB)—a scheme devised under the Button car plan.

[26] To differentiate the Pulsar, Nissan Australia applied the upmarket Japanese market Langley body details for its facelift.

Sedan versions had their facelift delayed until November that year, and the ET hatchback lingered on with the older styling until the demise of the N12 in 1987.

[26][30] The N12 was assembled in New Zealand at Nissan NZ's plant in Wiri South Auckland from 1982, and facelifted in 1984 when the main change was a switch to the now compulsory laminated windscreen.

Period tests complained about peaky power delivery (and the same long gear ratios as for the regular Cherry), torque steer, and a harsh ride.

[citation needed] A squarer Pulsar N13 series was released as a result; innovations included a permanently four-wheel drive model with a viscous coupling which appeared in May 1986.

The Langley and the Liberta Villa (both sold as sedans and three-door hatchbacks)[38] also continued sales in Japan as upmarket versions of the Pulsar, with a limited engine lineup.

Langley and Liberta Villa three-doors sported completely redesigned rear-ends, which were slightly longer and tapered off in a notchback-like manner and were much sportier in appearance with their more steeply raked rear windows.

The five-door hatchback was also offered, but this model differed from the Japanese Pulsar with reshaped upper doors (windows) and rear quarter panels.

[41] The GTi was quite discreet, with external changes limited to side skirts and small spoilers front and rear, as well as alloy wheels.

The European top-of-the-line model was the 2.0 GTI, equipped with the naturally aspirated SR20DE engine with 143 PS (105 kW) rather than the 1.8-litre version used in the home market.

This was the last generation of the Pulsar (now with Sunny badges, as in the rest of Europe) to be assembled in Greece, where TEOKAR went out of business in April 1995.

Similar models with unique specifications and Sentra badging were shipped to New Zealand where a wagon version, sourced from Japan and assembled locally, was also offered.

After Nissan closed the Clayton South plant in October 1992 for financial reasons, the models (known as the "Series 2") were imported from Japan and sold in Australia until September 1995, while Nissan NZ imported its own versions in CKD form to sell alongside the locally assembled wagon until the plant in Wiri, South Auckland, shut down in 1998.

Sold as the Sunny in the Europe from February 1991, the N14 was fitted with different engines from their Japanese counterparts, to better suit local regulations and markets.

Nissan redirected funding to Le Mans and the development of the R390, and NME moved their focus to the FWD Sunny GTI in the WRC F2 category (A7 class) where they had success with Alister McRae winning the 1995 BRC.

The cars were than striped, seam welded for added rigidity, and Autech body kits including unique Front bumper, Side skirt and Rear wing.

Additional extras include, Unique Autech front bumper & fog lights, side skirts, bumper end caps, N1 Spoiler, Fujitsubo Muffler, Unique trimmed Seats / Door Trim, Momo Steering Wheel, Leather Gear knob & Hand Break lever with Red stitching, Autech labeled cluster.

The "Version2" (VerII) was introduced offering a few chassis and mechanical tweaks as well as an option orange trimmed interior with GTR Skyline front seats.

[66][67] The C13 Pulsar signifies Nissan's reentry into the highly competitive compact hatchback segment, following the withdrawal of the Tiida from the market in 2011.

[71] The model was marketed in Russia since March 2015 as the Nissan Tiida, where it was assembled in Izhevsk from January 2015,[72][73] but production only lasted until December of the same year due to low sales.

The Pulsar was discontinued in Europe on 12 September 2018 due to poor demand, with Spanish production having ended in June of the same year.