The 4th-generation Nissan Micra is just as focussed on our environment as its youthful, switched-on buyers. And Nissan has adopted a holistic approach for this volume seller rather than a single evolutionary advance. The result is a vehicle ideally engineered for the personal mobility of today, consumption and CO2-aware and uncompromised in its approach.
In striving to achieve this goal, the new Micra has been honed and refined in every way, from the innovative new 3-cylinder petrol engine to a design architecture with a clear similarity to the popular previous generation but a much more now presence. And which cleverly contributes to a low co-efficient of drag (just 0.33) and confident high-speed stability.
It all begins with the V-platform which debuts beneath the skin of the new Micra. Nissan intend demonstrating just why the V stands for versatility very soon, with a wide variety of product types planned on the same basic chassis range. But the Micra is the ideal debut, as a core focus of V-platform development was adding lightness wherever possible while also improving strength.
In the quest to create the perfect city compact, managing weight is critical. Too heavy and the small capacity engines which provide such excellent economy become overburdened and the package feels tediously slow, but reduce weight by compromising strength and refinement is the biggest casualty. The new Micra is one of the most refined cars of this class you'll have ever experienced despite weight having been kept at the ideal level needed to deliver excellent dynamic characteristics.
The evidence of the extensive work put into the new Micra to achieve these groundbreaking results, are in the details. Thanks to the rigid platform, the front suspension has been made 9kg lighter than the old model, a new exhaust system yields a 3.2kg saving, and a 41-litre fuel tank is 2.2kg off the overall weight. Interior components like seats have also been selected for being trimmer than before, that 3-cylinder petrol engine is substantially lighter than a four-cylinder unit, and even the distinctive boomerang-shaped cut out in the roof has yielded a paring of 2 whole kgs!
Speaking of this unmistakable feature of the roof of the new Micra, this element was shaped in the wind tunnel primarily to reduce turbulence at cruising speeds and thereby keep wind noise down, and the resultant noise levels in the cabin of the Micra are comparable with cars in a whole different class.
Lower weight and more strength also provides a very stable platform for the McPherson strut front, compact torsion beam rear suspension arrangement to capitalise on, and the new Micra delivers a tangibly more dynamic drive than the previous version. Yet dedicated sub-frame mountings for both front and rear suspension arrangements and the fitment of long-travel suspension will see the car soaking up big potholes with the minimum of occupant discomfort.
Only such a 360-degree take on delivering class leading economy while still providing for customer demands of entertaining driving dynamics could yield such a perfectly balance city compact. The new Micra 1.2 petrol is where the best of both worlds meet – 5.2 l/100km on the combined cycle as well as the drive of your life, the new Micra is in sync with your world.
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