With bubbly appearance, good features, roomy cabin, and a good mix of ride and handling, Nissan’s new small car, the Micra, marks a new beginning for the Japanese car maker in India, says K Shivraj

After the X-Trail and the Teana, Nissan Motor India has come up with the Micra. It is a small car that marks the beginning of Nissan’s big plans for India.

The Micra is quite exciting. This is particularly evident from the front, where the two-tiered, forward-thrusting grille presents a sporty appearance. This is further accentuated by the lamps that sit deep into the corners. Rear styling is non-conformist, at best.

Measuring 3780 mm in length, 1665 mm in width and 1530 mm in height, the car flaunts above-average wheelbase of 2450 mm. Add the slightly bubbly overall appearance, and it is evident at once that the Nissan engineers have worked towards turning the Micra into a roomy hatch. Look at the boomerang-shaped grooves on the roof; they were engineered to turn the Micra into the lightest car in its segment without sacrificing the rigidity.

One of the three models to emerge from the newly-developed V-platform by Nissan, the Micra contains subtle innovative bits and pieces that help to keep the weight down, and up the efficiency and performance. At the centre of the oval theme that rocks the interior is the dashboard which contains almost half the parts seen on a conventional dash. While the reduction in number of components has been tried out in many other areas of the car, what draws attention are the round speedo console, round switch board and round vents. The quality of plastics is good and the seating at front is comfortable. Complementing the roomy cabin is good amount of space at the rear. The only shortcoming is the low seating at the rear. The rear seat could also do with more support. Storage space at the rear is good.

In terms of features, the Micra packs a good deal. All variants are equipped with the driver’s airbag. Others include intelligent key plus immobiliser, a push-button engine, start-stop system and electric foldable mirror. The intelligent multi-display meter supplies drivers with real-time fuel-economy information, cruising range and outside temperature. The driver power window is fitted with ‘one-touch up/down’ feature along with a pinch guard. Top-end variants gets auto climate control.

Crank the 75bhp, 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol motor with double overhead cams and it gives the impression of being smooth. This may come as a surprise, given the fact that this is actually a three-cylinder motor, and a strong pull is exerted close to 4000rpm. The motor has a strong mid-range that spills over into the high-range. This also results in a wide power band, making it easy to overtake. Some harshness sets in at higher revs and the lack of low-end grunt disappoints. In town, the motor calls for down-shifting to get it to rev back into the power band.

Ride and handling make a very good mix on the Micra. McPherson strut front and torsion beam rear soaks up the road irregularities with impressive ability. Little noise filters in. The steering is light but responsive enough to instill great confidence. The car can thus be aimed at the direction one would want it to take, and it will comply to the dot, almost. Some roll does show. Handling, however, is no second. The car handles very well in addition to exhibiting a highly impressive straightline stability. 

 The Micra, surprisingly, gets most things right. Its good looks pack very good value along with an engineering drive that contains subtle innovations, which impress without making them obvious.