Micra will appeal to the masses
Nissan’s back with surprising style
YEARS ago, I was interviewing British racing driver James Weaver, who has a very full trophy cabinet.
I asked him what car he drove on the road. A Porsche perhaps? Or a fast but discreet Mercedes? There was silence and an embarrassed look spread across his face. “Er, actually, I’ve got a 10-year-old Nissan Micra.”
Thus was proved that he was not just a very fast racing driver, but a wise one.
James came second in Le Mans in 1985 – and what road car could match his 240mph motor? None, so for road transport he had chosen a very reliable and competent hatchback.
My mum (and hundreds of thousands of other people wanting affordable and reliable transport) did the same.
And then in 2010, Nissan did something daft. It introduced a fifth-generation Micra and built it in India using poor quality materials. It added up to a Micra that was still unpretentious but also cheap and nasty. A lesson quickly learned, Nissan has made sure the new sixth-generation Micra has showroom appeal and, something early Micras never had, desirability and style.
Our top-of-the-range Micra Tekna test car looks really smart. It’s painted in grey metallic paint and has an optional Exterior Pack Plus, which for £550 adds 17in alloys and orange details.
It’s also fitted with an Interior Personalisation Pack, also in
orange, that adds coloured details including an orange soft-touch upper dashboard covering.
This adds another £400 to bring the basic price up from £17,870 to £19,370. A lot of money for a VW Polo rival but it shows it’s possible to build a very stylish and desirable Micra.
There is a choice of two engines: a 1.5-litre diesel and a 0.9-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol, both of which produce 89bhp. The diesel engine costs £1,350 more – and there’s talk of the Government putting more duty on diesel fuel. I’d choose the petrol. It’s the engine fitted to our test car and it’s used in various Renaults.
The Micra is built in France and was developed at Nissan’s technical centre in Cranfield, Beds.
The engine is smooth and quiet with a bit of character. All Micras have acoustic windscreens that cut down on wind noise.
Other bits pilfered from the Renault/Nissan parts department include the instrument pack with a 5.0in drive assist trip computer screen, from the Qashqai. The Tekna grade brings a Bose audio system with headrest speakers, 7in touchscreen with reversing camera, satnav and digital radio.
There’s lots of storage space including a generous storage box in the centre console. There’s plenty of room in the front but it’s not so spacious in the back and better suited to kids than adults.
Developing and testing cars on Britain’s underfunded and poorly maintained roads always pays dividends and the new Micra’s time with engineers on our roads has resulted in a car that handles nicely. There’s not much body roll and the steering is light and accurate, as you’d want in a small car. The five-speed manual gearbox works nicely with it.
I’ve not seen many better recoveries than Nissan’s saving of the Micra’s good name.
From a cheaply made small car with the interior of an old fridge, to a stylish and well-made and equipped credible Volkswagen Polo rival in one move.
Whether you go for the £13,815 entry level Visia+ or our posh version, and if you’re a Le Mans racer or an old lady, it’s a great choice for a small car.
Our Tekna shows you can build a desirable Micra