This was the last Sunny sold under the "Datsun" brand in Japan. The final rear-wheel-drive Sunny from model year 1978 to 1982 featured numerous variants, including a fastback station wagon as well as more squared-off, utilitarian models with three and five doors, a coupé, and two- and four-door sedans. They were first introduced in October 1977, going on sale on 21 November in Japan. The design received a certain amount of criticism, with "Car Styling Quarterly" calling it old-fashioned and dumpy at the rear, while the plastic detailing was referred to as overworked. It was, however, recognizable as a Nissan house design. This generation was also the last Sunny to utilize the front engine and rear-wheel drive layout.