We experience the refreshed Nissan
Micra hatchback in Madurai, the temple city of India
The Nissan Micra has been present in India
since the second half of 2010. That makes it an old car considering the pace at
which the hatchback segment is progressing. But it is not a very old car and as
such it doesn’t need to undergo a complete revamp. A mild re-design and some
new features can revive its appeal and prolong the car’s life. That is exactly
what Nissan India have done and along with that they have also given it a new
optional automatic transmission.
The
Nissan Micra has been present in India since the second half of 2010.
The car has the same fundamental design and
proportions, but the cosmetic changes give it a new look, especially the front
end, which shows influences of other Nissan cars. For example, the headlamp
cluster remains the same, but the lens looks sharper due to the 370 Z-inspired
fin. The front bumper is new and the two front grilles have a new shape and a
honeycomb design. The upper one also has X-Trail-like chrome bars that flank
the Nissan logo at the center. Triangular fog-lamp surrounds are also new and
these elements together give the car an aggressive look instead of the cute,
chubby styling of its predecessor. At the rear end, it has a new bumper and the
lip of the tail-gate extends on it. The most noticeable change, though, is the
re-arranged tail-lamp cluster, which uses LEDs. Top variants also get a rear
spoiler, wiper and defroster and the new eight-spoke alloy wheels with 15-inch
tires.
The cabin has been re-done as well and
looks more premium due to the new black-colored fascia with re-arranged
switches and the two-tone (grey-and-beige) interior. However, we didn’t find
some of the chrome finished buttons on the fascia very tasteful and the lower
variants of the car get an impoverished version of the fascia, but it looks
better than that in the previous car none the less.
There are a few additions to the functional
features such as the reverse camera and front fog-lamps, but these are only
found on the top variant of the diesel car while the front passenger and side
air-bags and Bluetooth connectivity are available in the top variants of both
petrol and diesel cars.
There
are a few additions to the functional features such as the reverse camera and
front fog-lamps
Engine options remain the same and also in
the same state of tune. The 1.2-liter, three-cylinder, DOHC petrol engine
produces 76 PS of power at 6,000 RPM and 104 Nm of torque at 4,000 RPM while
the 1.5-liter, four-cylinder, SOHC diesel mill has a maximum power output of 64
PS at 4,000 RPM and 160 Nm of torque at 2,000 RPM. The engines are mated to a
five-speed manual transmission as before while the new optional automatic
transmission is only available with the petrol engine. It utilizes Nissan’s
XTronic CVT (continuously variable transmission) that was recently added to
their Sunny sedan. Power output of the petrol Micra with the CVT box is one PS
more than the manual car’s and, according to Nissan, the state-of-the-art
gearbox is more efficient than the manual transmission.
It
utilizes Nissan’s XTronic CVT (continuously variable transmission) that was
recently added to their Sunny sedan.
The Micra CVT is noisier than the manual
car and feels slightly sluggish. The car starts thrumming the moment you step
on gas as it revs higher than what the manual car would do with the same amount
of throttle input, but that may appeal to some as a sporty characteristic. The
gearbox also has a low-ratio mode, which can be helpful while driving down a
steep slope or in heavy traffic, but it makes the car even noisier. The CVT box
also has a sports mode, which is activated by a small button on the gearstick.
The ECU increases the idling RPM in sports mode to overcome the initial
sluggishness while accelerating.
The Micra CVT has sufficient braking power
and remains stable under hard braking and the steering feels light like the
manual car. The car handles quite well too and except for the sound of the engine,
it offers a silent and comfortable ride inside the cabin.
The
car handles quite well too and except for the sound of the engine, it offers a
silent and comfortable ride inside the cabin.
The Micra is a roomy car with sufficient
space for five passengers and has a boot space of 230 liters, which is good
enough in its class. The Micra was available in the new olive green and dark
green shades during the media drive in addition to the old colors, but it may
become available with some more options. The new Micra range has three variants
with the petrol engine [XL, XL (O) and XV CVT] while the diesel car has four
[XL, XL (O), XV and XV P]. No price details are available as of now and are
expected to be announced only when the car is launched sometime this month.
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