Back in 1996, Nissan introduced a model called the Almera to European markets. Based on the Sentra and related to the Pulsar and Versa models, the Almera was updated in 2000 and discontinued in 2006 (although it remained in production in Thailand until last year). But now the Almera's back. In one market, anyway. The new Nissan Almera is being introduced this week at the Moscow Auto Show specifically for the Russian market to meet local criteria.

Engineered from the get-go to cope with the extreme road conditions and temperatures that characterize driving in the world's largest country, the new Almera is a five-seat, four-door sedan, powered by a 1.6-liter four producing just 102 horsepower. The Russian market is becoming increasingly important to the world's automakers, particularly for the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Alongside the new Almera, Nissan is also showcasing the special edition Juke Ministry of Sound, the Juke Nismo and the Juke-R, while announcing that it will build the next Qashqai in Russia as well as the UK where the current model is assembled.