The Nissan Micra has a reputation for affordability, reliability and ease of ownership, but much attention was not given to its appearance.
With the arrival of the fifth-generation Micra which was unveiled at the 2016 Paris Motor show, The French fashion capital was a fitting location for the debut of a model that shocks the world with a highly fashionable new look.
Still retaining much of the previous model’s engineering under the skin, the latest Micra came with a new 1.0-liter turbocharged engine that made Nissan’s supermini level-up with the best in its class.
Safety kits and a decently engaging drive was not left out. Micra in 2017 was recommended as one of the supermini best buys.
Overview
Since its a in 1982, the Nissan Micra has come a long way. Over the last 36 years, there have been five versions of the hatchback, all of which are significantly different.
The most recent Micra was released in March 2017 and has quickly become a popular and award-winning vehicle.
The current design is a far cry from the Micra’s original iteration. In 1982, the first generation was presented to the Japanese market, and in 1983, it was introduced to the European market.
The body style was created specifically for Fiat. Due to a carefully built engine, high gearing, and particularly low weight of only 675kg, this Micra had extremely low fuel consumption.
The Second Generation, often known as the K11, was released in Japan in January 1992 and in Europe in Quarter 4.
The engine and gearbox ranges were expanded for this generation, which included a diesel version and a CVT automatic transmission.
Won multiple honors, including European Car of the Year for the first time for a Japanese vehicle.
The most recent generation debuted in 2017 and is a significant upgrade over the device it replaced. It’s longer, wider, and lower than any prior model, and it was built and engineered with European customers as their target.
The car’s athletic and expressive external design, which takes the Micra nameplate in a bold new direction, is key to its appeal.
Inside, the high-quality cabin features two-tone soft-touch materials as standard across the range, continuing the contemporary design and luxury feel.
The new Micra is also a technological trailblazer, boasting a variety of innovations that are not only unique to the Micra but also unique to the segment.
Intelligent Lane Intervention is one of them. It’s a safety feature that gently guides the Micra back onto the correct path if necessary.
Performance
Its 115bhp petrol engine provides the finest driving experience, not just because of its increased performance, but also because the chassis has been improved to keep up.
The suspension has been lowered by 10mm, and the steering has been updated, giving the Micra more composure on country roads.
Micra’s new 1.0-liter petrol engine, which replaces the 0.9-liter Renault engine and has three cylinders and a turbocharger, takes center stage. It has 99 horsepower and can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 10.9 seconds.
It’s a more sophisticated engine than previously, with comparable performance. The car’s five-speed manual transmission is particularly impressive; it’s light and easy to operate, with a smooth shift action.
On a car that requires many gear changes in order to move quickly. The DIG-T 117 produces 115 horsepower and reduces the 0-62mph time by another second, earning Nissan Micra “warm hatch.”
Interior
As expected, the Nissan Micra’s cabin doesn’t just look good – it comes with the state of the art which makes all the switches feel solid and both the driver’s seat and sporty steering wheel come with loads of adjustment so you’ll have no trouble getting comfortable.
Unfortunately, you can’t have lumbar support (to help reduce backache on long drives) on any model and the Nissan Micra’s back seats are more cramped than those in most alternatives.
There’s a reasonable amount of knee room to make its occupant more comfortable. All but basic Visia and Visia+ cars come with a slick 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.