Today’s Rare Ride is kind of like a more modern and luxurious version of the Honda Civic Wagovan sold in North America in the Eighties. Offered by Nissan only in the Japanese domestic market, a case for the Rasheen in North America could’ve been made. Let’s check it out.
Considered an SUV in its home market, the Rasheen debuted in prototype format at the 1993 edition of the Tokyo Motor Show. Rasheen went into production in late 1994 for the 1995 model year and rode on the B14 platform donated by the Sunny and Sentra.
Under the square hood was one of three different inline-four engines, sourced from Nissan’s compact Pulsar line. Displacement was 1.5, 1.8, or 2.0 liters, the latter of which was the SR20DE from the Sentra SE-R. Transmissions on offer were a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual. Initially, all examples were equipped with the 1.5-liter engine good for 125 horses. Early in 1997, the 1.8 became available, though only with an automatic transmission. The ultimate version was the SR20DE-equipped Forza trim, which appeared midway through 1998 and had 145 horsepower.
All examples of the Rasheen were equipped with full-time, four-wheel drive and used Nissan’s ATTESA system initially offered in the Bluebird in 1987. An advanced version of ATTESA was also used later in Nissan’s rear-drive cars like the Skyline and FM platform Infinitis.
Nissan updated the Rasheen over its life to include ABS in 1996, along with a few different trim packages like the aforementioned cladded sports Forza. Alas, the Rasheen lasted only through 2000 and was not granted a second generation. A casualty of the Ghosn-created Nissan Revival Plan, the Rasheen’s official replacement was the X-Trail (available in Canada) on the FF-S platform. By 2014, X-Trail and Rogue were merged into one.
Today’s Rare Ride is an earlier Rasheen, with a manual transmission and the 1.5-liter engine. It’s been repainted like a banana and lowered among other owner edits. It does have the big moonroof, but sadly lacks the plaid seats and wood dash of more upscale examples. Yours in Seattle for $10,000.
[Images: Nissan]
Somehow the idea of that SE-R engine, which only really came alive above 5000 rpm, in a boxy CUV is hilarious.
You’d love an SR20-powered Serena.
White version looks like Niva
If they only designed it for mass production like the same era first generation RAV4 and CR-V instead of the small production Pike car series, things may have been different.
Shut up and take my money.
Agreed – this thing is pretty cool.
This would sell in today’s market. Its like a CUV from before CUVs were a thing.
Not really. Nissan itself already had a CUV called Stanza Wagon. It was elevated, with upright seating, and 4wd available. And Rasheen came about 15 years after the original CUV – NIVA. French were 1 month behind with Matra Simca Rancho, April 5th 1977 – Niva and May for Rancho
Not really. The Stanza Wagon was solidly a mini-MPV, like a bigger Civic Wagovan. Sure, it might have had AWD, but its monospace shape and low ground clearance is nothing like the Rancho’s long-hood and Disco-inspired looks. The Niva was/is a proper 4×4 despite being unibody, and so I don’t think it really represents the modern CUV either.
The Rasheen is really just a Japanese interpretation of the original Rancho because it’s based on a compact FWD sedan and has that most important element of being a CUV: looking like an SUV.
Seattle is the old folks home for old junk cars. It belongs there.
Neither rust nor sun rots cars here, but they are prone to mold and moss.
It looks like a Cherokee that had some cut-rate plastic surgery.
So a boxy Gen 2 SE-R on the B14 platform with the 5 speed , SR-20DE AND those plaid seats? Yeah, I’d have tried to buy one and been turned down by the bank back then. I don’t know that they’d have sold many, but the Bring a Trailer crowd would be nuts over this nowadays.
I own one of these and they are a blast to just cruise around town in. They’re pretty unique and quite the conversation starter. You really only want to own a manual, though, which I do.