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2017 Nissan Micra Dubbed As Being “a Revolution” Of Some Sort

When Nissan presented the first-generation Micra K10 in 1982, the little bugger was nothing more but an afterthought originally designed for Fiat as a replacement for the Fiat 127. It was a good car nonetheless, but then again, how good can a supermini get? According to Nissan, the fifth gen will be the most revolutionary Micra yet, which is simply braggadocious.
2017 Nissan Micra 11 photos
Photo: Nissan
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Slated to make its public outing next week at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, the 2017 Nissan Micra is an all-new affair for the Japanese automaker. Regarding design, the Sway Concept is the main inspiration for the fifth-gen Micra. Of course, wild details such as the rear-hinged back doors and the lack of a B-pillar had to go, but still, the design team has applied as many stylistic elements as possible from the Sway Concept to the road-going model.

James May famously said that the Nissan Micra is the car he has feared for his life the most while driving, chiefly because someone could see him. Of course, Captain Slow was referring to Micra K12, which is a bad example of how to design a car. Be that as it may, I have this gut feeling that James will like the 2017 model better, not only because it looks so much better.

Underneath the skin, the 2017 Nissan Micra rides on the CMF B platform. This member of the Common Module Family vehicle architecture will act as the building block for the second-generation Nissan Juke (due in 2017) and second-generation Dacia Duster (also due in 2017). All-wheel-drive is not going to happen in the Micra’s case, but on the upside, the CMF B is slated to up the ante in the driving dynamics and ride comfort departments.

On the powertrain front, three- and four-cylinder turbocharged engines are in the offing. There’s a possibility that the Renault 1.5 dCi turbo diesel will be offered in the Old Continent because hey, Europeans sure love their oil-burning engines. Transmission-wise, the standard stick shift will be joined by a continuously variable transmission for the comfort-minded customer.

These said, a question has to be posed: what does Nissan mean by "a revolution is coming?" On that note, expect the Japanese automaker to confirm that the all-new Micra will be built at the Flins plant in France, the place where Renault manufactures the Clio subcompact car and Zoe EV.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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