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NISSAN Micra Review

OUR TEST CAR: 2011 NISSAN Micra 1.2i CVT

 
NISSAN Micra - Page - 1
The first generation of the Micra was launched in 1982, with the vehicle going (somewhat) global from its very beginning, as it was also marketed on the European and Canadian markets. Nissan even went berserk and launched a model that relied on both a turbocharger and a supercharger (the VW Golf GT doesn't seem so smart now, does it?) to play the 0 to 62 mph game in 7.7 seconds. Sadly, this remains the quickest Micra to this day.

The second generation, which was brought to the world in 1992, refined the car, also bringing more body types, such as a convertible, a wagon and a wagon, albeit in limited numbers.

The Micra everybody will remember is the third generation, which had a strong visual personality. It was targeted mainly for the female audience, especially if we're talking about its coupe-cabriolet incarnation.

Now, with the fourth generation of the Micra, Nissan got serious about selling the vehicle globally and has also decided to make it appealing for both sexes.

We took a look at the car and asked ourselves? Is it? We didn't want to judge this Japanese books by its covers, so we took its 80 hp (entry level engine) version, fitted with a CVT and wearing the medium trim level for a test drive.

Nissan claims that the Micra aims at being some sort of a simple engineer's car, an efficient way of getting around town. Let's see if this is true, and, if it is, if it's any good for buyers.

The roof, look at the roof, it's the only visually interesting part of the new Micra. The engineers shook hands with the designers and thus the set of curves you see on top of the car appeared in order to increase rigidity and allow some otherwise heavier strengthening elements to be ditched in order to keep the car light.

The fourth generation of the Micra has given up the "look at me!" philosophy of its predecessor, that one is reserved for the Juke(built on a Micra platfrom) now.

The new Micra has been conceived as a global car and maybe designers didn't go too fat with their pencils as they were afraid of getting things wrong in the eyes of certain customers.

However, choosing such a non-identity design is by now means the lesser of two evils, so, unless you'll drive your Micra on two wheels, this car won't make it past the peripheral field of view. Our test car did try to make up for this by using a rather funky color, which seems to be a nail polish shade.

The Micra has grown in size and, even though most of the extra length has gone to the overhangs rather than to the wheelbase, the rear passengers will be pleased. So it's spacious, for its class.

As for the ergonomics, this is an area where the Micra perfectly classifies as a Japanese non-premium car: some of the controls are well placed and lit, while others seem to be fans of the "alone in the dark" series.

Nissan did try to cheer things up a bit, with a center console that uses an interesting and practical design (many of those who saw the car said that the circular center element should've been a knob, just for the fun of it), but this seems to have eaten up all its creativity.

Just like the car itself, the cabin is fair and really gets its job done, but doesn't stand out in any way. It's easy to find a good driving position and the overall visibility is good.

The was one element that we really liked - the leather-finished steering wheel (standard on the Acenta trim level of our test car), which was firm and offered a nice grip, seeming to be borrowed from a a sports car. but there's really not much else to talk about.

Point your finger at the Micra for not generating any emotions and the car will reply that it's not supposed to, as it's only purpose is to take you from A to B in a very efficient way, mostly inside the city. So, does it? Let's see.

Nissan brags that the Micra has the smallest turning radius in its class and you can really feel this. Since we're here, we'll also tell you that the electrically-assisted steering is great for moving around in busy traffic - this is a car that doesn't want and need driver involvement and, as long as you keep it on urban roads, this is not an issue.

However, the vehicle seems to be a bit confused, as it comes with a rather firm ride (not an unusual thing in its class) that seems to favor handling, not comfort. We know that it needs a firm ride in order to be able to offer swift lateral response - much needed during swift maneuvers, but a softer setting would've been preferable.

We tested the slowest version of the Micra, but, even though we relied on a combination of 80 hp and a continuously variable transmission, the sub-one-ton weight of the car meant that we could easily move around and never felt that we were left behind by the traffic.

The CVT also brings comfort point inside the city, so we could see a reason for going down this road.

As for the efficiency part, Nissan claims that this version of the Micra is 6.7 liters per 100 km (35 US mpg) thirsty and the real world average city figure we got was around 8 something liters per 100 km (28 US mpg).

The Micra was conceived as a city car, and thus won't prove to be a good companion for long trips. It does have the space to cater to this kind of journeys, but its tech side isn't enough.

We'll start with straight lines. Whereas the CVT proves to be an useful option around town, sparing your right foot of all that stop and go traffic work, it does manage to kill "in gear" acceleration, so overtaking becomes some sort of an event. The top speed of 100 mph says it all.

As far as the suspension is concerned, thins are the exact opposite, as its pretty firm setup, which can upset your balance inside the city, helps you keep the car on track at higher speed. However, the steering is too light and not to communicative, so you won't be to determined to drive this thing on twisty roads.

The brakes can provide decent deceleration for motorway speeds, but don't worry, you won't go too fast, as the rather weak soundproofing will keep you from doing that.

All in all, you can use the Micra for trips outside the journey, but you won't want to.
12
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autoevolution Nov 2011
50
History
5
Exterior
3
Interior
5
In the city
9
Open road
3
Comfort
5
Tech facts
6
Gadgets
4
Safety
6
Conclusion
4
56user rating 12 votes
Rate this car!
 
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