Top 3 things that set the Nissan Micra apart from its opponents
In a marketplace where the competition is moving steadily upmarket, the latest Nissan Micra comes to the battle with plenty of ammunition. It’s nice to look at and well-equipped, and, following the recent range expansion, offers a great little engine as well. Let’s look at the top 3 things that sets the Nissan Micra apart in the marketplace.
Not to be confused with the budget-beater Nissan Micra Active, the latest Nissan Micra is a thoroughly modern and rather upscale supermini competitor. It’s available with modern safety- and convenience tech, and offers a “fully-developed” driving experience to justify its rather premium pricetags.
Related: The top 6 differences between a new and old Nissan Micra.
1. Mixed parentage again leads to distinct siblings
As with its two direct predecessors, the latest Micra again uses the skeleton of a Renault Clio as a starting point. But, just like its predecessors, the new Micra looks, feels and drives very differently to its French cousin, to the point where it’s hard to discern any relationship between them.
This mostly applies to the upper half of the Micra range, though, because the lower half is powered by the old 0.9-litre turbo 3-cylinder (just like you’d find in a Clio or a Sandero). However, all Micras share a very nice interior and a decent spec sheet at a reasonable price, even though the driving experience itself has a distinctly French flavour, with a thrumming engine and a loping ride quality.
Related: Find out more about the Nissan Micra 66 kW Acenta in this video review.
2. The first (local) Micra with a sporty variant
Overseas markets have received various versions of hot (or hotter) Micras through the years, all derived from older-generation Micras, and never available in South Africa. That all changed at the end of 2019, when Nissan released a higher-powered new engine, along with sportier suspension tuning and styling enhancements, for the range-topping variants.
These high-trim Micras are still not really hot hatches, mind you – 84 kW and 180 Nm doth not a rapid car make – but they are really fun machines to pilot, nonetheless. The stiffer and lowered suspension enhances body control in fast cornering, and the fat(ter) tyres generate loads of road grip. This makes for a moderately quick car in a straight line, but one with grin-inducing driving dynamics on a winding road to compensate for any lack of outright speed.
Related: Nissan Micra test drive – be sure to check out these features!
3. Premium gadgets galore
In its higher trim levels, the Micra offers a whole bag full of advanced, premium features. We’re not even mentioning the cruise control or 6 airbags (standard across the range), or touchscreen infotainment system (standard on all Micras except the cheapest 66 kW Visia trim) here, but properly fancy stuff.
For instance, all 84 kW Micras have keyless entry and pushbutton start, rear parking sensors, a surround-view camera system, leather trim for the steering wheel and gear lever, and blind-spot monitoring. On top of this, the two “Tekna” trim levels have a Bose audio system, automatic climate control and LED headlights, and the “Tekna Plus” adds heated leather seats, red cabin details, and exclusive black paintwork to the mix. The result is a supermini with some definite luxury car overtones.
Related: The top 3 things you need to know about the Nissan Micra
