The new Nissan Micra will give tough competition to its many hatchback rivals, say Hormazd Sorabjee and Shapur Kotwal
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| High on the highway: The new Nissan Micra is a solidly engineered car |
Nissan may be a little known carmaker in India, but once the new Micra launches, this is set to change. We should know since we were lucky enough to take a short drive in Nissan’s new baby in Thailand. And we can tell you right away, it’s just the sort of car that will appeal to a considerable section of Indian car buyers.
STYLE FILE
The new Micra doesn’t make much of a first impression and the car looks more familiar. But Nissan designers have stayed away from ‘edgy’ styling because, according to their surveys, sharp lines and creases give a fragile image, which they wanted to avoid.
Instead, Nissan has deliberately gone for a more rounded look that looks robust. The details that stick in your mind are the attractive, high-mounted light pods and the two-part grille. The arched profile of the cabin has been carried over from the earlier Micra, but there’s a mishmash of lines at the rear, especially near the rear spoiler and the tail-lights.
Nissan likes to describe the character of the new Micra as ‘good, clean, fun.’ It comes across as a cute and cheerful design, which will surely appeal to women.
INSIDE STORY
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Step into the cabin and the rounded theme abounds. You get a round speedometer, a round cluster of buttons on the central console, round vents and a round steering boss. The Micra is also pretty practical. There’s good amount of space and the door pockets are of decent size. However, the double glovebox, standard in the European-spec cars, is missing and the Indian version only gets a single, tiny glove compartment.
You get a keyless entry fob that allows you to open the door with it sitting in your pocket, and the motor is fired with a push button. The keyless start/ stop feature is the first for a B-segment car. It’s got electrically folding mirrors and Nissan has also offered automatic climate control. There’s a mini on-board computer too, giving real-time fuel consumption and ‘distance-to-empty’ readouts. Nissan wants to make the feature-packed Micra one of its selling points though features like steering-mounted audio controls are missing in the Indian model.
Other steering mounted controls and Bluetooth connectivity are reserved for the high-end model. In basic trim, you get power steering and front power windows (manual at the rear). The air-con is standard and tyre-alloys are replaced with bare-looking steel wheels.
The beige interiors and generous glass area make for a very airy cabin. Interior quality is pretty good and the build quality is between the Swift and the Polo.
The front seats are very comfortable and Nissan has consciously made the nose of the car visible from the cabin, working upon a common complaint from first-time drivers who will make up a fair share of Micra buyers. At the back, headroom and legroom are quite generous. The only grouse we have with the rear seat is that it’s too low, flat and with little under-thigh support. Nissan needs to improve the seat squab (the raised portion on top of the seat, where you rest your head) before launching the car in India. The boot too is generous but there’s no split; the seat flips forward in one piece via a neat release latch.
UNDER THE HOOD
The Micra is powered by a 1198cc three-cylinder motor that makes 79bhp but unlike other three-cylinder motors sold in India, there is no balancer shaft used. Nissan has instead used balancer weights on the crank to cancel out vibrations, but this is not as effective a solution.
DRIVER’S DEAL
The motor responds well to a jab on the accelerator and the Micra moves forward with no hesitation. This motor has more power than the Polo, and you do feel the combined benefit of this and the light 945kg weight. Nissan says it has engineered the car with fewer parts to keep the weight down. The motor pulls all the way to 6000rpm and acceleration in and around 5000rpm is particularly strong.
Straightline stability on the car is impressive. With a wheel at each corner and most of the weight contained between the wheels, the Micra drives like a big car. The electric steering feels a touch vague though. However, city commuters will be thrilled by the Micra’s tight turning circle, designed with Indian customers in mind.
FINAL VERDICT
The new Micra may not look wild and exciting but behind its cute lines lie solid engineering and innovation. How well Nissan tunes this car for Indian conditions remains to be seen but we’re confident that the Micra will take to Indian roads like a duck to water.
What we don’t know is how Nissan will price the car. The sense we get is that it will be in that narrow window between the Swift and the Polo. Nissan might even undercut the Swift to get market share. If Nissan prices the Micra right, it has a winner on its hands.
spec check
NISSAN MICRA
Price: Rs 4 lakh - Rs 5 lakh (est)
L/W/H: 3780/1665/ 1530mm
Wheelbase: 2450mm
Kerb weight: 945kg
Engine: 3-cyls in-line, 1198cc, petrol/ 4-cyls in-line, 1461cc, turbo-diesel; front, transverse, front-wheel drive
Power: 79bhp at 6000rpm/ 64bhp at 4000rpm (est)
Torque: 11kgm at 4000/ 15.5kgm at 2000rpm (est)
Gearbox: 5-speed manual
Brakes (F/R): Discs/ drums
