Japanese carmaker Nissan is hoping to ride that tailwind as it launches a refreshed, much better-looking avatar of its Micra hatchback later this month and reel in some substantial sales numbers.
The Indian hatchback segment has over the past couple of years seen buyers ever so gradually gravitating towards premium offerings.
This trend, in the fast-moving consumer goods parlance, is called uptrading.
Japanese carmaker Nissan is hoping to ride that tailwind as it launches a refreshed, much better-looking avatar of its Micra hatchback later this month and reel in some substantial sales numbers.
Nissan is offering both manual and automatic (which is the CVT -- or continuous variable transmission, the gearbox technology we have seen in the Sunny automatic) versions of the new Micra.
Do the cars have it to deliver what’s needed? Last week, we took them for a circumambulation around the temples of Madurai and stomped on the highways to see if they’ve got the beef.
The looks
The new Micra has had quite a facelift. The styling changes start with a new honeycomb grille accentuated by the Nissan ‘V’ chrome strip. The headlight design has been altered a touch, giving it an arrowhead / boomerang theme with oblong contours.
If the previous iteration looked a bit sissy, this one’s a lot more masculine, thanks to aggressive chin and shoulder humps, giving the bonnet a lot of character. The fenders, too, have muscularity.
New touches on the tailgate include LED lights and an angular strip on lip, and a spiffy bumper, complementing the overall imagery defined by sporty alloys.
The interior
The problem with the predecessor’s dash was the characterless, non-premium grey overtone, so this new one has been re-colour-coded to make it seem far more upmarket.
While the CVT variant gets a full glossy piano-black console and rotary control – quite the centrepiece –the manual variant gets only partially glossy one.
Nissan has also added a lot of chrome accents to elevate the premium quotient.
The seats are more comfortable due to redesigned bolsters and overall, the car feels - and is — pretty roomy. That’s not in the least because of substantial headroom – which is 5 mm more than even the Maruti Swift’s — apart from good daylight opening areas and rear legroom.
Bells and whistles have been amped up too; top versions come with Bluetooth, Aux-in and USB ports, front and side airbags, and reversing camera. Upholstery is fabric, and they are very comfortable and look classy in beige-grey.
The engine
Nissan will offer just one automatic now – an Xtronic CVT that’s mated to the 1.2 litre petrol engine, and a five-speed manual petrol and diesel. A CVT diesel could come later, though.
Talking of CVT, it’s indeed the showpiece of the new Micra. Unlike the torque-convertor-based, stepped gears, the CVT is about pulleys and belts with stepless, non-perceptible gearshifts. The advantage of this is greater fuel efficiency and that seems to be the starting point of the carmaker’s productisation strategy. Nissan claims the automatic Micra gave over 19 km per litre in its tests; the company is awaiting official ARAI numbers. That would make it a splendid proposition for city users.
It is essentially the same plant as in the Sunny with some alterations in the electronic engine control unit. The manual variants, on the other hand, remain more or less the car of before, only better-looking and better-appointed.
Ride and handling
So we’d rather talk about the CVT variant, which is the new kid on the block. Push-start the engine, slot into Drive and the first thing to notice is this one’s no eager-beaver. Blame the rubber-band effect of the CVT where it pulls the engine revolutions too low and therefore the car won’t accelerate.
As a result, compared with the manual, the engine feels sluggish. Principally, that means overtaking manoeuvres would need pre-planning; there’s no way you can zap traffic.
Slotting the shifter in Sport mode permanently is the better way to drive the car because of better response dynamics.
There is also a little play/slackness in the steering, which could have been lighter with more feedback — but hey, considering we are not driving a sports hothatch, that’s perfectly fine for city use.
Noise, vibration and harshness levels have improved decently in Micra 2.0, even discounting for the pathological dissonance of a 3-pot mill. Nevertheless, overall, the motor has decent heft.
The suspension could have been a touch softer for we found the stiffer set-up jarring when traversing rumblers and craters.
The verdict
The new Micra is apt if you prefer a steady car. It’s certainly not for the straining-at-the-leash showboaters. This one is designed with mileage in mind more than performance. Yet, what’s on offer are very good looks and great space for its class and a machine that’s light to handle and comfortable to drive around town. Now, wouldn’t that suit the requirement of most people?
SPECSHEET
Nissan Micra CVT
Price: Around Rs 6 lakh expected, ex-showroom
Engine: 1198 cc, 3 cylinder, DOHC 12 valve
Max power: 76bhp at 6000 rpm
Max torque: 10.6kgm at 4000 rpm
Dimensions in feet: L/W/H: 12.4/5.4/5
Wheel base: 2450mm/ 8 feet
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