Nissan Micra now big on tech

What I liked about the Micra back then was the compact design and somewhat value for money which they managed to wrap up in an attractive package. Now though, the Nissan Micra has grown up a lot and I recently spent some time behind the wheel of the latest iteration to ascertain whether or not the aforementioned characteristics still applies to this popular product. The Nissan Micra has had to adapt over the years because of the competition were ever changing. The Ford Fiesta and the popular Volkswagen Polo matured and the Micra Nissan’s B-segment alternative needed to follow suit with a more upmarket look and feel that incorporates some impressive technology as well.

The styling

I like the modern styling of the new Nissan Micra; it has just enough design elements to separate it from the more conventional looking rivals. The low but angled front end and long headlights blend well into the small grille. Another element I like is the floating roofline which is achieved by blackening out the C-pillars at the rear with the rear door handles hidden on the upper edges of the passenger doors. Speaking about the rear, I found it to be as stylistic as the front while it is a busy design it does not distract the eyes. I find it much better looking than the frog-like looking model that replaces.

It is the interior of the new Micra that I admire the most, my test unit, the Acenta Plus Tech featured a black plastic facia which was adorned with Energy Orange leather inlays also found on the door linings and seats and the sides of the centre console. It looks really good and don’t just take my word for it, even my mother-in-law loved it so much that she wants to buy a Micra just for that.

Also spacious, well put together the interior is undoubtedly nice place to be in. I particularly like the large 7-inch infotainment screen which offers up features such as Apple CarPlay with the addition of USB, AUX and Bluetooth connectivity. The test vehicle also featured active cruise control, blind-spot alert, around-view monitor with moving-object detection, forward emergency braking, a colour instrument cluster display, six airbags, ABS with EBD and stability control which included Hill Start Assist.

The drive

So far all is looking good and the Micra seems to be a very promising option, however, the little turbocharged 0.9-litre, 3-cylinder engine is, once it gets going, a very impressive little firecracker. It develops 66 kW and 140 N.m and I found myself enjoying the eagerness even though it might be less than that found in the competition. Sure you need to work the 5-speed manual gearbox to ensure that you stay within the power and I would have liked a 6^th gear, particularly when on the highway. This brings me to the one big issue I found with the Micra, it suffers from all the turbo-lag, not just some of it but all of it. This means that when you set off from a stationary position, the car gives you the impression it is going to stall, you can even press the accelerator pedal all the way and yet nothing happens until it reaches just over 2500rpm which meant it required a steady foot and much concentration when pulling away and I found this to be annoying. That said, when I explained this to my mother-in-law she actually didn’t care much for this new found knowledge of turbo-lag. She did however like the fact that the car was returning fuel consumption figure of around 6.0-litres per 100km.

Verdict

After my week with the little Micra, I can conclude that the car, as a whole, feels and looks much more modern than before. I really do like it and it offers an overall commendable driving experience. The interior is more exciting than that offered in the Ford Fiesta and the exterior looks as if it carries more effort than the Polo. I won’t say that the Micra is better than its competitors but it is a worthy alternative and at around R299 900, one which you should consider in my opinion.