Nissan

Micra

The new generation Micra is the fun-packed city car that offers a safe and comfortable ride and is filled with excellent technology too. Boasting outstanding fuel economy, low emissions and a reduced insurance rating, it’s guaranteed to appeal.

Test Drive

Nissan Micra 1.2 DIG-D Acenta

Nissan’s fabulous city car – the Micra – has always been charismatic, energetic, excellent value for money, fun to drive and full of charm and the latest model is no exception to those rules.

It’s been more than three decades since the car made its mark on the motoring world and it has certainly blossomed with age.

The latest make-over sees new design cues plus plenty of on-board wizardry to be explored.

There’s no denying the fact, the Nissan Micra is a brilliant little city car that is big on space, versatility and appeal and the 1.2 DIG-S in Acenta trim is a perfect example of those attributes.

With a price-tag of £12,650 (£13,600 with a few added options), it boasts funky eye-catching good looks, lots of on-board technology and performance stats that are equally impressive along the way.

For example, the Micra with its 1.2 petrol engine producing 98PS can sprint from 0-62mph in 11.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 112mph.

Okay, it’s not the fastest kid on the block but acceleration through the five-speed manual transmission is beautifully smooth and the Micra can easily keep pace with fast-moving motorway traffic.

There is virtually no engine or road surface noise and the road-holding is flawless even in very wet driving conditions, where corners can be attacked with confidence.

And in busy, built-up towns and city centres, the Micra simply fizzes around oozing confidence along the way. Parking is never an issue thanks to its compact size and the interior of this five-door is deceptively spacious which means two adults can travel in the back in comfort – provided the front seats are not pushed back too far.

The boot is ideal for a city car and the capacity can be increased further thanks to easily operated 60:40 split-folding rear seats.

There is a clean, uncluttered and simplistic layout to the dashboard with all instrumentation clear to read and controls easy to access. My only slight gripe was the positioning of the side door mirror adjustment pad. You actually have to lean forward to reach it so it’s a case of trial and error before getting the mirror positioning just right.

But that aside, creature comforts and smart design cues are plentiful.

There are 15-inch alloys, a roof spoiler, body-coloured bumpers, door handles and door mirrors, plus a chrome lower grille.

And inside, features include stylish cloth seats, climate control with a gloss black central console, CD radio with four speakers, Bluetooth connectivity, a multi-function leather steering wheel, automatic headlights, automatic wipers, cruise control and plenty more besides.

Nissan has packed a comprehensive range of safety features into the Micra. These include anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution, six airbags, remote central locking, electronic stability programme and an immobiliser to keep any uninvited guests at bay.

All in all, the Micra is competing in a fiercely competitive segment alongside some very stiff opposition, but the car’s exciting driving dynamics, low carbon emissions of 99g/km and combined fuel economy of 65.7mpg still make it a very popular choice.

And despite its age, the Micra is certainly still very young at heart.

Test Drive

Nissan Micra 1.2 DIG-S Tekna (2013)

Boasting a fresh new look and plenty of exciting technology the latest Nissan Micra is anything but a mid-term facelift.

In fact, the car which is in its fourth generation and was first launched more than 30 years ago, has been given a complete makeover and it would appear the popular city car is now even more charming.

With an on-the-road price of just over £14k for the range-topping Tekna model, it has to be said that the Micra is excellent value for money. Other models in the range start from less than £10k.

Attention-grabbing features on this five-door hatchback include redesigned 16-inch alloys, LED tail lamps, sweeping headlights, body-coloured door handles and mirrors, a chrome lower grille, front fog lamps and plenty more besides.

The interior is light and spacious with room for two adults in the back. Like all city cars, the boot is not massive but it can easily accommodate the weekly shopping or small suitcases. The option of 60:40 split-folding rear seats increases the storage capacity considerably.

Creature comforts are plentiful and include rear parking sensors, a parking slot measurement feature, cruise control, automatic wipers and Nissan Connect with six speakers – this is the company’s user-friendly touchscreen system with fully integrated sat nav, Bluetooth, USB, iPod and iPhone connectivity in one easy-to-use interface.

The test car featured a 1.2 petrol-driven engine, which despite its size, packed quite a punch. In fact the car has a 0-62mph sprint time of just 11.4 seconds and a top speed of 112mph which means it’s no slouch around town or on the open road.

According to Nissan figures, the fuel economy is outstanding too with a combined efficiency of 65.7mpg and carbon emissions of 99g/km.

I found the car handled really well even on wet country lanes as it moved smoothly through the five-speed manual transmission. Engine and road surface noise was minimal and the road-holding excellent even into tight bends.

I did find there was a little glare from the shiny fascia when the sun put in an unexpected appearance, but that aside, the Micra proved an impressive little car.

The Micra boasts a comprehensive range of safety features, including electronic stability programme, anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution, six airbags and plenty more besides.

All in all, the Micra may have been around for a while now, but this latest model certainly freshens up its appeal once again.

Test Drive

Nissan Micra 1.2 DIG-S (manual)

Nissan is looking to clean up the city with its latest Micra model that boasts the power of a petrol engine combined with the performance of a diesel.

And if that’s not enough to tempt buyers into the showrooms, the price is certainly going to be a deal clincher.

Although the Micra has been around for a number of years it’s the latest engine that’s likely to cause quite a stir.

For the three-cylinder 1.2-litre model is fitted with a Direct Injection Gasoline – Supercharged (DIG-S) engine which is proving to be one of the cleanest petrol engines in the world.

The new Micra DIG-S boasts excellent fuel efficiency, exceptionally low carbon emissions figures, great handling and a price-tag that won’t break the bank.

Buyers have a choice of three trim levels – Visia, Acenta and Tekna. The manual gearbox is available on all three with the CVT (automatic transmission) available on just the Acenta and Tekna models.

And the latest Micra is not just about engines – there are several design tweaks here and there of note.

The aerodynamics have been improved thanks to an extended rear roof spoiler which works in conjunction with a small lip spoiler at the front of the car to reduce drag and the car is longer by 61mm, wider by 15mm and lower by 20mm.

The split grille separated by the front bumper has a smiling appearance that almost welcome onlookers and there is black trim set around the top grille, windows and door mirrors which is quite striking in appearance.

The interior has a fairly simplistic layout which is very neat and effective with all controls, dials and read-outs perfectly positioned for ease of use. There is a lot of plastic on the dashboard, but it doesn’t look cheap in any way and the cloth seats are both supportive and comfortable.

There is plenty of room for four adults to travel in comfort with ample leg, elbow and head space for rear occupants.

And the boot is fairly generously-sized too and this capacity can be increased further thanks to split-folding rear seats. Elsewhere, there are a handful of smaller storage options throughout the cabin.

Creature comforts are plentiful and include a multi-function leather steering wheel, an anti-dazzle rear view mirror, sat nav, electric front windows, a driver’s armrest and plenty more.

Bosses at Nissan HQ believe the biggest seller will be the mid-range Acenta model with a five-speed manual transmission, so it seemed only fitting to put that particular car through its paces – and how well it came out the other side.

The 1.2-litre engine was very smooth and, with the supercharger, there is always that little bit of extra power and acceleration at your disposal which can be very handy when overtaking.

The five-speed manual transmission easy to operate and the acceleration was instant, although I found myself searching for a sixth gear on more than one occasion.

The top speed is 112mph and it can reach from 0-62mph in 11.3 seconds with combined fuel economy of 65.7mpg.

Road-holding was impressive even on tighter bends and the cabin noise relatively quiet although there was a bit of road surface noise – that could be down to the poor quality of our roads network though!

One factor that really impressed was the way the Micra DIG-S coped on faster roads where it easily kept up with the big boys, so it’s clearly so much more than just a city car. And with excellent all-round visibility, the new Micra is quite a catch.

The test model was priced at £12,150, increased to £13,011 with some optional extras such as the Nissan Connect system with six speakers which offers a fully integrated entertainment and information package.

One slight gripe though – buyers have to pay an extra £41 for carpet mats which is a bit of an ask really!

Nissan has fitted a comprehensive list of safety specifications to the model, including anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution, electronic stability programme and plenty more besides.

All in all, the latest Micra is a brilliant city car, but so much more on top. It has good looks, great performance and economy and even boasts an agreeable price tag.

Test Drive

Nissan Micra Acenta 1.2 CVT (automatic)

We live in an age where we want all our technology bundled into neat little packages. It really has become a “small is beautiful” world with tiny phones, mini computers and microscopic music devices – and the demand for quality compact cars has increased too.

Although we ask for better fuel efficiency, lower emissions and savings at every turn, we are not prepared to sacrifice any of the creature comforts that make 21st Century motoring so much fun.

Thankfully, Nissan has managed to combine a perfect blend of quality craftsmanship with technological know-how to produce the fourth generation Micra – a compact car that is perfect to navigate busy towns and cities, but still offers plenty of big car features.

Available in a 1.2-litre petrol engine, the Micra comes in three trim levels and with a manual or automatic transmission. I tested the mid-range Acenta with an automatic transmission which was both smooth and very responsive. First impressions are vital and the Micra doesn’t disappoint. It looks like a snazzy five-door city car that wouldn’t feel out of place with the movers and shakers in town. The body-coloured bumpers, door mirrors and sideguard mouldings add to its charm and its smooth lines are also quite eye-catching.

Priced at £12.6k, it offers plenty of technology for the outlay including cruise control, climate control, a very large illuminated glove box, a multi-function leather steering wheel, electric door mirrors, a good audio system with connectivity to all of today’s music devices, Nissan Connect with touch screen Sat nav and six speakers (£400) and plenty more besides.

Inside, the cabin is deceptively spacious and rear seat passengers are treated to plenty of leg and head room.

Although there is a place for a third person, they would be extremely cramped. The interior has a very user-friendly feel with all dials, controls and levers ideally positioned for ease of use and the all-round visibility is extremely good.

Nissan has adopted what it describes as a “connected cocoon” approach. An example of this is the dashboard with its twin bubble theme, which in turn matches the circular instrument binnacle with a similarly shaped glove box. There’s definitely a rounded theme running through the vehicle.

The boot is generously sized and can be enhanced even further when necessary thanks to the 60:40 split folding rear seats. Elsewhere there are a number of useful storage compartments.

Although this is the fourth generation Micra, it delivers reduced carbon emissions, better fuel economy and a lower insurance rating than any of its predecessors. And that is certainly going to add to its appeal in this economy-conscious environment.

The 1.2-litre engine proved fairly responsive, but I did find the cabin noise rather loud on bumpier surfaces or at slightly higher speeds.

However, in busy city centre traffic, it’s a perfect vehicle thanks to its agility and manoeuvrability.

An optional extra that is definitely worth a mention is the Parking Slot Measurement feature which will assess whether a gap is suitable to park in and then let you know if the procedure will be OK, difficult or not advised.

Safety features are extremely comprehensive too with anti-lock brakes, brake assist, electronic stability programme, numerous airbags, remote central locking and lots more.

All in all, Nissan is attempting to bring big car features to the small car segment and with its latest Micra model that has been well and truly achieved.