Road test:

NEW generation of engines is making its way into the Nissan Micra as the Japanese car maker goes about pepping up its supermini.

There’s also a new CVT automatic transmission and a new N-Sport trim grade joining the line up plus some improvements on the technology front.

The changes are designed to keep the Micra up to speed in a market that also features the likes of the Ford Fiesta, the SEAT Ibiza and the Volkswagen Polo.

The new engines have been developed by the Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance and are threecylinder 1.0-litre blocks boosted to either 100 or 117ps.

They replace the 898cc three pot 90ps engine which has been used in the latest Micra since its launch two years ago and join a 1.5-litre diesel which remains in the range as does a 71ps 1.0-litre petrol.

With more power on tap the new engines make the Micra much more user-friendly and the auto box is a revelation.

Acceleration 0 to 60 is 10.9 seconds and top speed for the fivespeed manual 100ps version is 114mph with fuel economy rated at best at 51.4mpg.

The more powerful 117ps engine, which has Daimler input and a six-speed transmission, is a second quicker 0 to 60 and tops out at 121mph with best economy of 47.9 to the gallon.

Emissions for the two are 114 and 121g/ km respectively.

The auto – albeit a CVT – uses what Nissan calls its D-Step technology which