Micra, an under appreciated gem in hatchbacks. Review on Nissan Micra

I will be upfront with you, I am biased about Nissan micra and Nissan Company to be writing review. I firmly believe that Nissan Micra is one of the best hatchbacks in Indian market and deserve much more praise & publicity than it has so far received. And for the price, you are buying into the famed Nissan badge whose brand pull is quite close to heart than other Japanese car brands can ever evoke. Nissan is famous for car aficionados principally for its engine technology(maker of some of the best ever petrol engines fitted in a car:- ref "Wards List") and making affordable performance cars(iconic GTR, 370Z!). But Nissan is an automotive giant, ranks as the 8th largest manufacturer of cars globally just behind Honda but notably ahead of Fiat, Suzuki & Renault. Nissan Micra is sold in US Europe & South East Asian markets and it is one of their global car models and have so far sold 6 million cars in 4 generations since 1982. Renowned for reliability and ease of usability in city, Micra is one of Nissan's most successful global cars.

I was little apprehensive to start with buying a Nissan Micra. Based on common logic and market perception, there seemed much desired cars from Maruti and Hyundai stable to buy than the new Nissan. And careful buyers are always a little reluctant of buying cars from new car companies in India that too Nissan, who till 2 years back were selling cars only with its brand name. All Nissan's operations were handled by a little known importer who managed dealer show for it. Now all this has changed and at the last count Nissan footprint has expanded to 37 dealers/service networks across India(Even in Tier II towns such as Karnal, Calicut). With a cumulative investment of$1B in their Chennai plant, they have recently rolled out the 100, 000th Micra manufactured from their Chennai plant. With the assurance of a fast expanding dealer network, reputation of brand and car model, expansion plans of company in India, and as mentioned in beginning, the fondness for the brand all were the major factors for me to go on with the buying decision. I had a test drive in a diesel version and instantly liked the car.

Micra is offered with the option of a Diesel engine only in India. But nonetheless, according to me, this 57 hp engine is not recommended as it does not seem to blend with the character of the car - that is going too much into a car lovers consumer behaviour. But an engine developed for a fuel efficient small sedan Veritos or(erstwhile Logan) getting transplanted to a cute city car is a flawed design aesthetic. Agreed that normal buyers will not do drag races from signal points, the D engine is underpowered compared to the petrol version and only livens up a little at highway speeds. Putting on AC considerably affects the city driving performance of D engine. Also diesel versions do not have the option of choosing lower priced variants and hence customers end up paying substantial high mark-up for higher prices XV variants.(There is no choice but buy the fully loaded diesel Micras)

Now review points

Looks - It pays to be contrarian to a general trend. City is choke a full of Maruti Swift, Ritz, i10 etc. Micra stands distinctive in the crowded hatchback sector. From the front car closely follows the award winning design of the predecessor model. The flared bonnet front grill is similar in design to an i10 at the top, but the bottom half is taller than i10 or i20 and hence is distinctive. Bonnet height is comparatively low, but does not slope as much as a Ritz. Headlights evoke look of a cute drosophils insect. The design lays emphasis on lightness and function. The roof design is purported to reduce overall weight while increasing structural strength. I think this claim can easily disputed for the sake of a design philosophy.(The gilded roof design is more on the aesthetic side than functional as far as my perception is concerned) The silhouette of the car gracefully achieves a curvaceous profile. Even the roof gently curves. The back side window curves bulbously(but beautifully) a tad outside and thus gives it a distinctive side profile. The rear lamps protrude outside ala the old Fiat style and therefore are more in line with the new design philosophy.

Interior - Interior space is adequate for 5 adults to sit comfortably in it. But we have observed that the rear seat is not comfortable to sit for long drives. The front seat height is optimum and the driving view is never compromised. The A pillar design provide good visibility even in sharp turns. Air conditioning is good with fast cooling.

Engine - HR12DE 3 cylinder mill is jointly developed with Renault. Three cylinders are by design unbalanced, but the use of an offset crank reduces the vibration levels so much that an idling engine while inside the car is indistinguishable from the switch off state. Micra engine and power train is renowned for its reliability winning awards in UK. We have no reason to believe otherwise in India. The smooth operating engine easily accelerates across the gears. In no time the car will be doing 80-90kmh without the engine breaking slightest sweat in the process. But any further pressing strains the power plant, so speeds above 140 is cringingly achieved and surpassed with much coaxing. The car is not designed to be driven flat-out and at any speed above 120, steering control is twitchy in this light car. Gear shift is notchy and requests some effort to shift from 1st to second and does not slot slot smoothly into place. I guess this should improve as car puts on more miles on road. I have observed that, past 6000KM running, gear shifting is much more smooth and fun!

Other Points - The instant mileage readout from the trip computer is a lesson in thrift driving. It somehow contra intuitively suggests that 3rd gear or 4th gear drive in 30-40 range is more fuel efficient than driving in 5th gear. Also it is possible to maintain 80+ speed consistently while achieving 21.3 kmpl average on good roads. But in real world driving in cities with AC ON, a mileage of 14.8 is observed. Service interval is every 10k KM or 1 year, as is the case with most modern models.I had the first service completed with nothing more than the mandatory oil change. Nissan has also replaced the rear suspension of my car as part of a company mandated replacement drive.

For the small size and lightness of car, the ride is smooth with no noticeable bumps. The car is easily manoeuvrable in city and is a delight to drive in bumper to bumper city traffic due to terrific acceleration in 1st and 2nd gear and due to ample low end torque of petrol engine. Due to the low end torque, Car can easily start pulling even in 3rd gear in crawling traffic. One of slight missives I have about the car is that the Nissan international models come with much more gadget s(reverse parking sensor, ESP, ABS) than is available in even the top models here in India.

It is not very difficult to gradually fall in love with this car, for the price you are getting a everyday city drive ability, economy, durability, distinction in style and a Nissan badge. As a tech loaded car, this should cater to those young software engineers and executives in no end. The bulbous design should appeal to women in particular.