The U13 Bluebird was introduced in New Zealand in early 1993, and was produced at Nissan's assembly plant in South Auckland from CKD packs imported from Japan until 1997, when it was replaced by the Primera. The model received much praise for its handling roadholding, with some models benefitting from the Attesa's passively steered rear wheels. New Zealand models were; S (base model, not available until later), SE (mid-spec), SES (sport) and SEL (luxury). Several versions of the sedan, including the first local Bluebird to have standard factory-fitted air conditioning (automatic climate control in this case) and optional locally supplied leather upholstery. At launch, some local motoring writers criticised Nissan NZ's decision to fit luxury equipment items instead of airbags in top versions but the company insisted there was not yet sufficient retail or fleet buyer demand.