Nissan Micra (2011) review
by David Finlay (12 January 2011)
It's rare, though not exactly uncommon, for car manufacturers to take a step back from a piece of design which at the time seemed adventurous but is later regarded as rash. Mitsubishi did that with the Shogun several years ago, and more recently Citroen did it with the C4. Now, something similar appears to have happened with the Nissan Micra, which is going into its fourth generation.
While the first and second Micras were bland almost to the point of invisibility, the third was what a friend of mine would describe as "positively erotic in its recklessness". That's not a phrase that's ever going to be used to described Micra 4.0. I spent a large part of Monday driving several examples, and now, on Wednesday, I have to keep referring to the pictures to remind myself what it looks like. The colour of the paintwork makes quite a difference, but on the whole this is not a stand-out design.
That's on the outside. Inside, it's a bit more adventurous, though the colour scheme makes a big difference. Roomy, too: the interior of the previous Micra was already pretty well-packaged, but this one is better. I'm six foot three tall, and it's not much of a problem for me to fit in the back, where legroom is moderately good (partly because this Micra is longer than the last one) and headroom spectacular (even though it's a shade lower).
The rear seats can't be moved back and forward as they used to, but on higher-specification models they can very easily be folded and tumbled forward - and secured by being hooked to the front headrests - to give a flat load area. Luggage space when all the seats are up is 265 litres, which isn't great for a supermini (most rivals do much better than that), but in two-seat form the Micra manages 1132 litres when loaded to the roof, which is outstanding.
From launch, there's only one engine, a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol unit with a maximum output of 79bhp. The resulting performance figures of 106mph flat-out and 0-62mph in 13.7 seconds are not such as to quicken the heart, but Nissan has never in 28 years felt the need to put a properly sporty Micra into production and there seems no special reason to do so now. With the standard five-speed manual gearbox, a Micra has combined fuel economy of 56.5mpg and CO2 emissions of 115g/km, so it's exempt from the first-year VED payment and will cost £30 annually to tax thereafter.
Although there's not going to be a diesel, Nissan will extend the choice later this year by introducing a supercharged version of the petrol engine which not only produces more power (97bhp) but emits only 95g/km of CO2 on the official test cycle, which means you don't have to pay any VED at all.
The non-supercharged 1.2 comes with the manual gearbox mentioned earlier or a CVT automatic adds £950 to the price and adversely affects the performance, fuel economy and CO2 emissions but is nevertheless worth considering - not just because it's easier to use but because, by removing the manual's very wobbly gearchange, it makes the Micra seem more like a quality car.
Not by very much, though. At the UK press launch, Nissan mentioned several rivals but noticeably refrained from comparing the Micra with the admittedly more expensive Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo, which are currently the classiest mainstream superminis around, nor the Renault Clio and Vauxhall Corsa, which are a step down, but concentrated instead on the still humbler Hyundai i20, Suzuki Swift and Toyota Yaris. Aside from the fact that each of these is, to me at least, more interesting than the Micra, this comparison suggested that Nissan has designed its latest challenger down to a price. It certainly feels like it when you get behind the wheel.
Another point has to be made here, though. There have been some grumblings that the Micra's build quality is suspect, but those are largely on the basis of the cars made available on the international press launch. Those were made in Thailand, whereas the ones at the UK event came from India, as will be the case with all Micras sold in Europe. The Indian cars seemed to have been properly screwed together, and the relatively low quality probably has more to do with design than construction. (Incidentally, Micras are also built in Mexico and China, but not in Japan, nor at the UK plant in Sunderland. Sunderland, which produced the previous Micra, is now the home of the Juke, which despite looking like a niche product is in fact a more important car to Nissan, certainly in terms of UK sales.)
Of course, Micra buyers are probably not looking for premium quality, so the fact that the new car doesn't feel particularly special isn't that much of an issue. It's more important that it should be easy to drive, and it's certainly that, largely thanks to a steering action which is beautifully weighted for town use. These days, safety is also a big issue, but although Euro NCAP had little to say against the Micra after it went through the crash test programme, the fact remains that this is one of only 15 cars of the 73 tested since early 2009 not to have achieved a five-star rating (it scored four, and its whiplash protection was described as "marginal").
The Micra is available only with a five-door body, but it comes with a choice of three trim levels with those odd names of Visia, Acenta and Tekna. All three come with ESP (electronic stability programme), ABS, front, side and curtain airbags, a trip computer, automatic speed-sensitive door locking and a steering wheel which is adjustable for height but not - in 2011! - for reach.
Visias have 14" steel wheels and Bluetooth connectivity have standard, but you have to pay extra for manual air-conditioning. Climate control air-conditioning is standard on the Acenta, which is expected to be the top seller and also has cruise control, electric door mirrors, a front armrest, leather-covered steering wheel and gearknob, a very large glass sunroof and a height-adjustable driver's seat.
The best-equipped Micra is the Tekna, which has the excellent Nissan Connect entertainment/information/satnav system (also available at extra cost on the Acenta), automatic headlights and wipers, powered folding door mirrors and what Nissan describes as a "comprehensive matrix information dashboard display". Among other things, this can be programmed to wish you a Happy Birthday on the appropriate day, though somehow the very thought of that makes me want to weep.
The Tekna also has a Parking Slot Measurement (PSM) system, which operates at speeds below 15mph and advises the driver as to whether attempting to park in a space it senses is "OK", "Difficult" or "Not Advised", the parameters being determined by whether you choose the Amateur, Normal or Expert mode. PSM shows that Nissan, while not aiming either for great quality or for excitement with the Micra, has certainly been prepared to throw technology at it, especially if that technology is aimed at driver convenience. There is one obvious exception to that idea, however - although Nissan says it has aimed for excellent all-round visibility, and even suggests that Micra owners particularly want this, I can't help thinking that if it was really taking this seriously it would have made the rear side windows a more sensible shape.
On-the-road pricing for the Micra starts at £9250 for the Visia. The Acenta costs £10,850 and the Tekna £12,350, and as previously mentioned CVT adds £950 to the price, though not for the Tekna since that's manual only. For me, the car to have would be the Acenta with CVT, though at £11,800 it's more expensive than it feels it ought to be. The Tekna I drove had optional chrome doorhandles, heated front seats, metallic paint and carpet mats, and while I can see the appeal to some extent I can't help thinking that the resulting price of £12,891 is a bit steep.
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