Nissan's latest Micra is modestly restyled inside and out, with different lights, bumpers and side sills, and yet another redesigned fascia plus lots of new places to stash and hang things. Bottle-holders, even.Like the previous version, it has rather lost the innocent look of the original Micra, but it's important to realise that this has never been the kind of Noddy car some snootier journalists - and, admittedly, the launch advertising campaign - have tried to make out.The Micra started out in life as a very good supermini, well-built, well-engineered, much more refined than many of its rivals, and lively to handle. The high-set bodywork allowed for a fair amount of rear passenger space, because the fact that you didn't have to slouch meant that by sitting upright you could compensate for the meagre kneeroom.All of that also applies to the latest model, and, although I'm principally a fan of the one-litre, I'm glad to see that the 1.3-litre engine has gone the way of all flesh and been replaced by a better 1.4 with larger bore and stroke.The 1.4 feels a bit more muscular on the road, especially when you get a grip of the leather-rimmed steering wheel that's standard in the SE+ specification. All the Micras have ABS, electronic brake distribution and Brake Assist, and there are 14" alloy wheels on the 1.4-litre SE+ and Sport+ grades.Take in the SE+ superlocking, twin airbags, air-conditioning, heated door mirrors and Nissan's very effective immobiliser system, and you have a well-equipped car for the class.The SE and SE+ models have what Nissan calls a "traditional" interior trim and colour scheme, while the Sport and Sport+ are "contemporary", a long word which boils down to "wild". I don't know if I could live with that bold interior approach (wrong generation, I suppose) with trim colours and contrasts like Flywheel's eyeballs after a night on the tiles.Fortunately, the contemporary interior is cool and stylish with the light grey approach I usually dislike on larger cars, but which looks just right here. And the latest fascia design is more elegant than you see on many superminis, as well as being well-planned.So we have a three-door SE+ (there's a five-door as well, of course, at £500 extra), we have the 1.4-litre engine, and we have the traditional interior. What about the transmission?Well, the Micra has a very slick five-speed manual box, but it's also offered with one of the best small-car CVT systems on the market. Nissan builds this itself, and the latest version has the benefit of a certain amount of built-in "creep" which is quite handy for smooth take-offs and trickling up to traffic lights.I enjoy CVTs, although I shouldn't really fancy the bigger Primera's combination of CVT with a series of manual holds. As motoring journalist Leonard Setright says, what's the point of having a continuously variable transmission if you don't let it vary continuously?The 1.4-litre Micra returns exactly the same extra urban economy figure with CVT as with the manual box, which is very encouraging, and it loses out on the combined figure only because the automatic is less economical around town, which I find rather puzzling.Out on the open road, the CVT car goes really well, as you play all the silly games like over-revving from a standing start and then easing the throttle a little, so that at the same moment the speedometer needle is climbing and the rev-counter needle is dropping back. That's not the way to go for economy, of course. I'm aware of that. No letters, please.On some country roads I know pretty well, the CVT Micra darted along feeling every bit as sporty as a manual one I tried over much the same route. It's a little slower in acceleration, but you save time by not stirring a conventional gearlever around.Leave the transmission to its own devices? Have nothing to do with any manual selection? W-e-l-l, not exactly.Like most apparently all-automatic CVTs, the Micra does have one low-gear hold position for the selector. Slot it into L and the idea is that you get otherwise unavailable engine braking.Actually, you get far more than that. The L position makes all the difference when you're pressing on up hills or on twisting roads where the best CVT in the world, not being clairvoyant, won't always anticipate when a bit of lower gearing is called for.I don't recommend doing this on a regular basis, but it's a plain fact that the CVT Micra, which can be pushed on at a pace which would surprise people who've been getting the wrong message about it, will hit an indicated 70mph-plus in the low-ratio hold. Noddy strikes back. Engine 1348cc, 4 cylinders Power 80bhp Transmission CVT automatic Fuel 44.1mpg Acceleration 0-62mph: 12.5 seconds Top speed 102mph Price £11,450 Details correct at publication date
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