Nissan Micra is at it again. The Japanese car has been revamped with a clutch of novel facilities. The small hatchback still manages to stay updated even eight years after its launch in India.
We test-drive Nissan Micra, one of the best CVT automatic hatchbacks available in India.
The global car
Micra is a global car from Nissan. It is sold in almost all markets in the world. It is the hot-selling model in Europe, Latin America and China. It is called March in its home market, Japan. Renault Pulse and Datsun Micra are just another names for the same car.
Nissan Micra is not just another small car. It has sizzled the roads since 1982. It comes in a variety of avatars, including convertible, coupe and rally sport. It comes with engines below 600 cc in Japan and engines with a capacity of more than 1,600 in several markets.
The novelty quotient
Nissan Micra has been around for a while but it takes pride in a design that stays forever young. The styling is refreshing from any angle. The first changes you notice in the new Micra are the new LED tail lamps and the R 15 diamond cut alloys.
Micra comes with the same features that are otherwise available only in the very expensive cars. The head lamp that has the ‘lead me to car’ and ‘follow me’ features has become automatic. They are switched on automatically after dark. Wipers are fitted with rain sensors. They start work at the first drop.
Elegant interiors
The interior finishing is in black. Seats are in black too. The piano black finish of the central console has become grander than in Sunny.
Orange cars carry the same colour in dash boards and door trims to gain a sporty look. The Sunny model stereo controls mounted on the steering wheel has been incorporated into the new Micra. It also comes with Push button start, two-din stereo, airbag, ABS and EBD.
CVT
Though Baleno and Jazz boast of the CVT automatic gearbox, only Micra has the most modern Xtronic CVT. If automatic gear transmission was looked down upon because of their slow response, Micra has solved the problem with hi-tech.
Driving a Micra, in simple terms, is a pleasure. The 1,200 cc 77 Bhp engine is calm and sturdy. They perform equally good on city roads and highways. Micra offers freedom from gear change without compromising on performance.
The decreased turning radius at 4.56 metres and the light steering make the model all the more comfortable. The state-of-the-art suspension is made to pamper the passengers.
Cost effective
Interestingly, the automatic model excels the manual model in terms of fuel efficiency. Micra would easily cover 19.34 kilometres for a litre. You cannot find a better automatic model with this kind of fuel efficiency.
The XL model comes with a price tag of Rs 6.09 lakh ex showroom. The XV would cost Rs 7.71 lakh. For a test drive, call EVM Nissan at +91 95670 96666.
