Spotted: a Nissan Stagea

Late last month, AutoRAI.nl was in France to put a Citroen model with new and updated electrified powertrains through its paces. We drove through the beautiful hilly countryside northwest of Paris. While driving the already exclusive Citroën Ami Buggy II, we saw something even more special (in Europe) in the village of Maffliers: a Nissan Stagea.

Nissan Skyline station wagon

Traditionally, the Nissan Skyline was also available as an estate car. However, when 1990 generation R31 went out of production, that body variant did not get a successor. In 1996, Nissan did introduce the Stagea. Although that station wagon was positioned as a separate model line, it was really just another Skyline station wagon both technically and in terms of positioning in the Nissan lineup.

As a separate model line, the Nissan Stagea did have a distinct design of its own. There was little of the rather rounded lines of the then Skyline R33 (1993-1998). The Stagea was mostly angular and practical. In retrospect, the Stagea did turn out to be somewhat of a harbinger for the new Skyline R34 (1998-2001), which was a lot more angular than its predecessor.

Nissan Stagea: wolf in sheep’s clothing

Technically, of course, the Stagea was based on the R33, at its introduction the current generation Skyline. The Nissan Stagea also adopted some technical elements from the Laurel. As with those other models, the Stagea’s engine lineup consisted exclusively of six-in-line engines. There was a choice of three types, with 2.0, 2.5 and 2.6 liter capacity. Power ranged from 96 kW (131 hp) to 206 kW (280 hp). The latter is the same engine used in the Skyline GT-R. So despite its practical nature, the Stagea had little to complain about in terms of sporting performance. Drive went to the rear wheels as standard, with all-wheel drive optional. Shifting was automatic, with a four-speed automatic transmission.

Some technical updates were added in 1997, and a special version appeared in collaboration with tuner Autech that was precisely available exclusively with five-speed manual transmission (and all-wheel drive).

Facelift for Nissan Stagea

In 1998, the Stagea underwent a subtle facelift. On the visual front, the biggest news were the redesigned headlights with stiffeners in the grille. On the technical front, the engines were updated, now offering a power range from 114 kW (155 hp) to 206 kW (280 hp). From now on, the manual transmission was also available as a regular option, albeit for a few specific versions.

The first-generation Nissan Stagea remained in production through 2001. In that year, the all-new second generation appeared, with a remarkably Volvo-like rear end.

The spotted specimen

The Nissan Stagea we saw in France is from facelift model year 1998. French license plates are not traceable like in the Netherlands, so we do not know the exact year of construction of this example. Other than the wheels, the Nissan appears to be completely original, which is not a given for a Stagea. Indeed, the model was soon popular with tuners, as was the related Skyline.

The Nissan Stagea was also available from the factory in a variety of versions with “thicker” bumper work. We see here at least one of the two RS versions, but which one exactly is so not clear. The biggest difference, in fact, is rear- or all-wheel drive, and you can’t see that from the outside. The Dayz badge on the back does not help us either, because if we understand correctly, the Dayz package was only available before the facelift.

Whichever variant it is exactly, the Nissan Stagea is a very rare car in Europe and the last thing we expected to encounter in a French village. So we didn’t hesitate for a moment to pull the Ami over for a photo stop.

Bonus: an early Fiat Panda

While we stopped: next to it is a Fiat Panda of facelift model year 1991. You can still see this latest version of the original Panda here in the region with some regularity, but in the Netherlands they are now worth a mention as a car spot. Anyway, those Pandas are fun little cars, so this one got to be photographed as well.