Big ambitions for latest Micra

NISSAN’S new Micra is on a mission for supremacy, by beating Ford’s Fiesta as the UK’s most popular small car.

It will be aiming to appeal not only to traditional small car buyers, but also to those who downsize from larger models within the executive class.

This means that the newcomer is brimming with the sort of features that were once the preserve of models costing much more, even though the latest Micra can tip the scales in excess of £17,250.

Gone are the days of the cute little Noddy car look, to be replaced by a larger model with a far more purposeful appearance.

It is available in five-door guise only, which, together with its larger size, should attract current Micra and Note buyers in equal measure.

Indeed, Nissan is hoping that the newcomer will attract more buyers than the former Micra and Note combined.

The cutting-edge design is so ambitious that it instantly makes the rival Fiesta seem somewhat mundane by comparison.

Longer, wider and lower than before, it boasts a high-quality cabin with two-tone soft-touch materials as standard across the range.

In an obvious attempt to attract younger buyers, a highlight is the BOSE Personal audio system with speakers built into the driver’s head rest.

The car is available with three downsized engines – two petrol and one diesel – all linked to a five-speed manual gearbox at the moment. There are also Nissan’s familiar five grades of Visia, Visia+, Acenta, N-Connecta and Tekna.

A rake/reach-adjustable steering wheel is standard, while the lowered seating position for the driver and front passenger mean there’s good headroom for taller occupants. Coupled with class-leading fore/aft driver’s seat adjustment, it means a driver who is 6ft 8ins can fit comfortably behind the wheel. Nissan knows this as it has one in the Micra development team. Similarly, there’s a female employee who is just 4ft 11ins who is also adequately catered for.

Boot capacity is 300 litres with the seats upright, and 1,000 litres when the 60:40 split rear seats are folded down.

Great attention has been paid to the provision of carry-on objects within the vehicle.

Larger items can be placed in the centre console ahead of the gear selector, which offers flat storage for a phone, and includes ambient lighting plus USB and 12v sockets.

The 10-litre glove box is designed to take a two-litre drinks bottle, while bottles up to 1.5 litres will fit in the front door bins. Additionally, there are two cup holders between the front seats, plus another in the rear. Air-conditioning is standard on all but the entry level model, with automatic air conditioning available on the higher grades.

A first for the small hatchback segment is the BOSE Personal premium audio system, which offers a 360-degree personal listening experience thanks to two speakers located in the driver’s seat head rest.

NissanConnect is standard on Tekna and N-Connecta grades, and optional on Acenta. The standard infotainment system on Acenta is called Display Audio, while Visia+ and Visia get the entry level system.

NissanConnect offers a 7in fullcolour multi-touch display, DAB digital radio, satellite navigation and smartphone-style apps.

Display Audio also has a 7in fullcolour multi-touch display, and comes with Apple CarPlay as standard. When an Apple iPhone is connected via an Apple lightning cable it offers Siri voice control, Apple maps, plus access to music, telephone and other apps such as Spotify. Every version also comes with lane intervention, emergency braking with pedestrian recognition, traffic sign recognition and high-beam assist.

There are half a dozen airbags as standard, plus seat belt warnings and seat belt height adjustment for the front and rear. Isofix child seats can be used inside the car, including in the front passenger seat. A speed limiter, automatic headlight sensor, automatic hazard lights and a tyre pressure monitoring system are also fitted to every model.

The car is manufactured at Flins near Paris, operated by Nissan’s partner Renault, and is the first Nissan passenger car ever to be built at a Renault plant in Europe. It returns Micra production to Europe after a break of seven years.

Prices range from £11,995 to £17,250, plus the cost of optional personalisation packs.