Nissan Langley

Nissan Langley: Which Version to Buy and Why

The Nissan Langley choice depends first on body style and then on drivetrain. The 1 generation, produced from May 1978 to April 1982, is a Mini 3-doors with 2 versions. The 2 generation, offered from June 1982 to September 1986, changes to a Mini 5-doors but retains 2 versions.

The Nissan Langley choice depends first on body style and then on drivetrain. The 1 generation, produced from May 1978 to April 1982, is a Mini 3-doors with 2 versions. The 2 generation, offered from June 1982 to September 1986, changes to a Mini 5-doors but retains 2 versions. The 3 generation, built from October 1986 to August 1990, is a Sedan with 18 versions, although specifications for 12 are shown here. All listed cars use a Gasoline Inline 4-cylinder engine and offer Manual or Automatic transmission. The 3 generation provides the broadest choice: 73–97 hp, FWD or AWD, and kerb weights from 920 to 1,150 kg among the measured versions.

Nissan Langley generations: what changed?

The 1 generation is the choice for buyers wanting the Mini 3-doors body. Its two versions are named 1.5 MT and 1.5 AT. Both use a 1,487 cc Gasoline Inline 4-cylinder engine rated at 95 hp (69 kW), with Carburetor fuel delivery and no boost. The difference is the transmission: the 1.5 MT has a 4-speed Manual, while the 1.5 AT has a 3-speed Automatic. Both are FWD and provide 170 mm of ground clearance.

The 2 generation changes the body to Mini 5-doors and again offers 2 versions named 1.5 MT and 1.5 AT. Its 1,487 cc Gasoline Inline 4-cylinder engine produces 95 hp (70 kW) at 6,000 rpm, now with Central injection (single-point or single- point) and no boost. The 1.5 MT gains a 5-speed Manual, one gear more than the earlier 1.5 MT. The 1.5 AT gains a 4-speed Automatic, also one gear more than its predecessor. Both remain FWD with 170 mm of clearance.

The 3 generation makes the largest change by adopting a Sedan body and expanding to 18 versions. The 12 versions detailed here all use a 1,488 cc Gasoline Inline 4-cylinder engine, but output ranges from 73 to 97 hp and torque from 116 to 128 Nm. Buyers can choose FWD or AWD, 5-speed Manual transmission, and 3- or 4-speed Automatic transmission. Measured FWD clearance is 150 mm, which is 20 mm less than the 170 mm listed for the earlier generations. Clearance for the detailed AWD versions is not measured.

Nissan Langley engine and gearbox specs

Repeated names are distinguished below by power, fuel system, and drive. No detailed version in the data is turbocharged: boost is listed as No for every version.

Power per litre separates the 3 generation engines clearly. The 73 hp engine delivers about 49.1 hp per litre, the 82 hp engine about 55.1 hp per litre, the 85 hp engine about 57.1 hp per litre, and the 97 hp engine about 65.2 hp per litre. The earlier 95 hp, 1,487 cc engine produces about 63.9 hp per litre. Thus, the strongest 3 generation engine has 24 hp more than the 73 hp unit and raises specific output by about 16.1 hp per litre.

Fuel delivery also distinguishes otherwise similarly named cars. The 3 generation 73 hp versions use Carburetor, the 82 hp versions use Central injection (single-point or single- point), the 85 hp versions return to Carburetor, and the 97 hp versions use Distributed injection (multi-point). The 73 hp engines have 2 valves per cylinder; the 85 hp and 97 hp engines have 3. The 82 hp engines are listed with 2 valves per cylinder.

Nissan Langley performance and economy

Acceleration from 0–100 km/h is not measured for every listed Nissan Langley version. Top speed is also not measured for every version. City fuel consumption, highway fuel consumption, and combined fuel consumption are not measured throughout the data, so no mpg comparison can be made without inventing figures. CO2 output and emissions class are likewise not measured for all versions.

The available engine figures still permit useful comparisons. In the 3 generation, moving from 73 hp to 82 hp adds 9 hp and 7 Nm. Moving from 82 hp to 85 hp adds 3 hp but does not change the listed 123 Nm peak torque; the torque peak moves from 2,800 to 3,600 rpm. Moving from 85 hp to 97 hp adds 12 hp and 5 Nm. Against the 73 hp engine, the 97 hp unit offers 32.9% more power and 10.3% more torque.

Nissan Langley dimensions, weight, clearance and tank

Complete exterior dimensions and wheel sizes are not measured for any listed version. Gross weight is also not measured throughout the range.

For the 1 generation, kerb weight is not measured for either 1.5 MT or 1.5 AT. Both have 170 mm of ground clearance, while fuel-tank capacity and wheel sizes are not measured.

For the 2 generation, the 1.5 MT has a measured kerb weight of 850 kg and 170 mm of clearance. Kerb weight for the 1.5 AT is not measured, while its clearance is 170 mm. Tank capacity and wheel sizes are not measured for either version. At 850 kg and 95 hp, the measured 1.5 MT carries about 8.9 kg per hp.

The 3 generation FWD versions have 150 mm of ground clearance and a 50-litre tank. Their measured kerb weights are 920 kg for the 73 hp 1.5 MT, 940 kg for the 73 hp 1.5 AT, 960 kg for the 82 hp 1.5 MT, 1,010 kg for the 82 hp 1.5 AT, 930 kg for the 85 hp 1.5 MT, 950 kg for the 85 hp 1.5 AT, 970 kg for the 97 hp 1.5 MT, and 1,020 kg for the 97 hp 1.5 AT. Wheel sizes are not measured.

The 3 generation AWD versions also have a 50-litre tank, but their ground clearance and wheel sizes are not measured. Kerb weights are 1,120 kg for the 82 hp 1.5 MT, 1,140 kg for the 82 hp 1.5 AT, 1,130 kg for the 97 hp 1.5 MT, and 1,150 kg for the 97 hp 1.5 AT.

Which Nissan Langley version should you buy?

For the best measured weight-to-power ratio, the 2 generation 1.5 MT is the leading choice at about 8.9 kg per hp. It combines 95 hp with an 850 kg kerb weight, a 5-speed Manual gearbox, FWD, and 170 mm of clearance. The comparable 2 generation 1.5 AT has the same 95 hp and 170 mm clearance with a 4-speed Automatic, but its kerb weight is not measured, so its weight-to-power ratio cannot be calculated.

Among 3 generation cars, the 97 hp 1.5 MT with FWD provides the best weight-to-power figure: 970 kg divided by 97 hp equals exactly 10.0 kg per hp. The 97 hp 1.5 AT with FWD follows at about 10.5 kg per hp. These versions also provide the range’s highest listed torque, 128 Nm, and use Distributed injection (multi-point).

The 85 hp 1.5 MT with FWD is a notably light middle option. At 930 kg, it is 30 kg lighter than the 82 hp 1.5 MT with FWD while producing 3 hp more. Its ratio is about 10.9 kg per hp, compared with about 11.7 kg per hp for the 82 hp Manual FWD car. The 85 hp version uses Carburetor rather than the 82 hp version’s Central injection (single-point or single- point), so the choice is not based on output alone.

Choose AWD only when AWD itself is the priority. At the same 82 hp output, the AWD 1.5 MT weighs 1,120 kg, which is 160 kg more than the 960 kg FWD 1.5 MT. The AWD 1.5 AT weighs 1,140 kg, 130 kg more than the 1,010 kg FWD 1.5 AT. With 97 hp, the AWD 1.5 MT is also 160 kg heavier than its FWD equivalent, while the AWD 1.5 AT is 130 kg heavier. The 97 hp AWD Manual nevertheless improves substantially on the 82 hp AWD Manual, reducing weight per horsepower from about 13.7 to about 11.6 kg per hp.

For the lowest measured kerb weight within the 3 generation, select the 73 hp 1.5 MT at 920 kg. Its weight-to-power ratio is about 12.6 kg per hp, while the 73 hp 1.5 AT weighs 940 kg and reaches about 12.9 kg per hp. The Manual therefore saves 20 kg while retaining the same 73 hp and 116 Nm.

Automatic buyers seeking the strongest measured specification should choose the 97 hp 1.5 AT with FWD if AWD is unnecessary. It has a 4-speed Automatic and weighs 1,020 kg. The 97 hp AWD 1.5 AT uses a 3-speed Automatic and weighs 1,150 kg, so AWD adds 130 kg and comes with one fewer forward gear. No purchase-price data, used-car listings, parts prices, engine prices, service hours, reliability records, or problem reports are provided, so those factors cannot be compared from this catalogue data.