IMAGE RATING
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I SUSPECT that no-one’s going to notice the death of cars powered by filthy, polluting, petrol and diesel engines.
Personally, I can’t wait for the day we all go electric but there’s still a lot to do.
My nearest railway station has still only got two parking bays with electric chargers – not enough for the 500+ cars parked there every day.
Anyway, they’re nicked by two diesel cars, a Range Rover and a BMW, long before the first train of the day leaves the station at 6am.
So why won’t we notice? Is it because we’ll all be poisoned to death by the time the ban comes into force in 2040? I hope not. By then our air should be actually fit to breathe.
No, I reckon that by then diesels will be banned and petrol engines will have become so quiet and fuel efficient we’ll all be used to silence, rather than living with the permanent roar of traffic.
The advancements made by car companies are becoming so dramatic that getting into a new motor represents a sea change on a monthly basis. Take the new Nissan Micra which, by no coincidence whatsoever, I’ve been driving this week. It’s got the same three-cylinder 898cc Renault motor that powers the Twingo, Dacia Sandero and Dacia Logan.
It’s sensational.
Mighty
Obviously “other engines are available” as they say but I’ll tell you, if you’re a car buyer who wants a Micra and actually enjoys driving, this is the version to go for.
Why? Because it’s quiet, surprisingly powerful and ridiculously fuelefficient.
I’ve just driven the new Micra on a 450-mile return trip to mighty Macclesfield and back home to Essex and I may as well have taken a limo for all the difference it made in comfort, noise and ride quality.
At 70mph it’s ticking over at 2,800rpm – so certainly never stressed. The ride isn’t even upset by Britain’s plethora of potholes, and the seats are astonishingly comfy, and that includes on long journeys.
Nissan claim an average fuel economy figure of 61mpg for the Micra but I wasn’t prepared to turn the fivehour journey into a day-long tedium REAR MIRROR MONSTER: Huge triple bulb headlights and LED running lights all match the spoiler which sticks out below them like a pair of aircraft wings. Definitely racy but too small to be a monster. PLAYTIME PLEASER: Satnav, cruise control with speed limiter, trip computer, single zone climate control, keyless entry and go, rear of driving as if my right foot had been removed.
So I just bombed it up and down the motorways and, despite doing considerably more than the speed limit displayed on its dashboard, it still returned 45mpg.
That’s with two adults on board and two suitcases in the boot. It’s terrific and it’s got a fair bit of pace, too.
Aah, I hear you say, but who wants a car as boring and unloveable as a Nissan Micra? Fair point if you’re TASTY TOUCHES: talking about the Micras of old, but just take a look at the new one. Isn’t it stunning? It’s eight inches longer than the last Micra but it looks huge in comparison.
Oh, and it’s stylish, too, which is more than you could ever say about previous Micras, which usually attracted words like functional, dull and dreary.
Standard cars may have a less than interesting black dashboard but the addition of a £400 “Interior Personalisation Pack” gives owners a huge choice of orange, blue or red slashes along the dashboard and seats to brighten up the inside, while another £550 gives you matching outside colours on the sills, door mirrors and wheels.
The top spec Tekna model I drove had stacks of standard kit, including a seven-inch touchscreen satnav, while whatever car you choose has rear doors with cool Alfa Romeo-style hidden handles. There’s enough space in the rear for everyone, though you’ll want to move the front seats forwards a bit for adults on long journeys.
Add to that a decent 28-inch boot which extends to 4ft 6in with the rear seat backs folded down.
Practical and fuel-efficient may best describe the new Micra but the most important thing is its looks.
They’re smart enough on their own to tempt most people before they’ve even driven it and found out just how good it is.