About Nissan Prairie
Nissan tried to improve its ability to build minivans and introduced the Praire in 1989 as a true contender in the small MPV segment.
In the U.S., the Praire was sold under the Axxess name, and that was an unfortunate name for a car that shouldn't ax anyone. Moreover, despite using the same platform as the Nissan Bluebird, it just didn't match the American customers' needs for a family MPV.
The proportions were right on the Praire. Its design started with a raked front fascia extended up to the roof in an almost continuous line that united the hood and the windshield. The side proportions were also adequate, with the door panels sharing about the same area as the large windows. Moreover, thanks to the standard rear sliding doors, the ingress and egress from the car were very easy. Behind them, the last row of windows was short, while the tailgate was almost vertical. The Praire/Axxess didn't have a problem with the proportions, but its size; it was too small.
Nissan placed high-mounted bucket seats at the front and a folding rear bench inside. The tall driving position was appreciated by customers, but the rear passengers were not quite happy with the legroom. They expected more from a minivan. However, in Europe, the vehicle's size was suitable for roaming inside cities.
But Nissan had a difficult task in installing the appropriate engine under the hood. In the U.S., it offered the car with a 2.4-liter four-pot paired to an automatic transmission, while in Europe and Canada, the MPV was also offered with a row-your-own gearbox and a 2.0-liter powerplant.