Nissan Micra reviewed

Nissan is about to launch its first small car in India and here is what the carmaker has to offer with this new product. Nissan Micra is an Indian A2 hatchback with a difference. Firstly, the car falls under the Rs 5 lakh category and it is manufactured on a new "V" platform. Right now, Nissan Micra would be available in a 1.2L petrol only and the Logan 1.5 litre diesel is expected in about 6 months along with an automatic transmission. The Micra has a 3 cylinder DOHC 1198cc petrol engine producing at 75 BHP at 6,000 rpm and 104 NM of torque at 4,000 rpm. Idling is silent, refinement leagues ahead of an A-Star and there is hardly any rocking motion felt inside. Size wise, the Nissan Micra is in the same category as Maruti Swift. The moment you see the car its bug-eyed headlamps and twin grille give it a very cute look. Women and youngsters are likely to be impressed by the style more than the die hard car enthusiast. The Micra has a standard driver airbag as standard which sets it apart from market leaders like Maruti, Tata and Hyundai. In the top variant there are features like dual airbags, ABS and EBD brakes, climate control, keyless entry and go, engine start / stop button, tilt-adjustable steering, 4 power windows, engine immobilizer, 4 speaker audio system with CD / MP3 / AUX compatibility, multi-information display and rear wash / wipe. One of the key features of the Nissan Micra are the key sensors on door handles that let you open the car with the key in you pocket. The Nissan Micra follows a circular design pattern everywhere.

All of the car's instruments are circular with the fuel tank lid being the only exception. The instrument panel has an orange backlight and the car has grey and beige interiors. The quality of material used and the finish are also very impressive. Also, the big rear windows feel good. The dashboard dials are easily readable but the driver seat is not adjustable. However the steering is smooth and feels good and due to a well positioned driver seat, the visibility is also good. The steering has tilt adjustment that makes driving comfortable. There is enough headroom, legroom and space. The Micra feels more spacious than its competitors. The car's air conditioning is good and so is the boot space. The tiny boot lamp is very useful and the rear seats can be completely folded to make more space. The glove box is small, there are cup holders in front of the gear stick and bottle holder for the rear passenger as well. The car's noise refinement is good even at idling and there are low or almost no vibrations even at idling. But punch at low rpms is not as good, especially in the 1,500 – 2,000 rpms range. The 1.2 petrol three cylinder has a 6,800 revv limit. However, all the punch loss is compensated by ARAI rating of 18.06 kpl that might be a good sign with the fuel price deregulation.