Spyshots: 2011 Nissan Micra

The next generation Nissan Micra, or, if we are to trust rumors which say this will be the Japanese carmaker's future "global compact car," has been caught testing, from a distance (and with a shaky hand, apparently), prior to its presumed unveiling in March this year.

The limited information available on the Micra hint to the car being built on a new platform, dubbed V, which will also be used as the basis for a small MPV and a compact sedan. According to a report by Autocar, the V will be able to handle some 1,600 kg of weight, making the 1.5l turbo diesel engine the likely candidate to become the largest unit to be used by Nissan.

Other engines will likely be positioned, from the displacement point of view, somewhere in the 1-liter range, with a 900cc and a 1.2l turbocharged version, the most likely candidates to complete the range. To handle the new engine, Nissan is said to have developed a new CVT transmission.

As we said, it is not yet crystal clear whether the Micra pictured here and the sketch revealed by Nissan in the beginning of October refer to the same car. In all likeliness, the two are one, sort of speak, as it is hard to believe Nissan will put a lot of energy, money and time into developing two almost identical cars.

If that's the case, we'll see the Micra as soon as this March, for the first time in Thailand and subsequently in an extra 150 countries. For Thailand, Nissan says the yet unnamed compact will be the country's first eco-car, without specifying whether it is because hybrid or electric drivetrains are involved, or the new engines are very efficient.

As for the price, going global means going cheap. "Competitive pricing is going to allow mass-market appeal, which is going to set Nissan apart,” Larry Dominique, Nissan vice president of product planning for Nissan North America said when the sketch of the global compact was revealed.