The new Nissan Micra Acenta Plus Tech: Country-loving city girl

By Ané Theron

 

 

The futuristic Acenta Plus Tech model recently joined the local line-up of Nissan Micras. Instead of just driving the Micra around Cape Town's CBD, I whisked it off to a mid-week Overberg getaway with plenty of gravel roads thrown in...

 

Who's the Micra for?

The new and flashy Nissan Micra Acenta Plus Tech is not being marketed as a car for small-town girls of the countryside. It's aimed at image-conscious young city professionals who live fast and desire instant gratification. On this front, the tech-rich Micra delivers. But just for fun,  I thought I'd introduce the Micra to the slower, more fulfilling side of life.

 

Multiple breaths of mountain-fresh air...

Our ideal get-away-from-it-all spot had been booked weeks before. My criteria was the following: It had to be far (enough) removed from the city, have an indoor fireplace, an outside braai, a stunning view, and, most importantly, a wood-fired hot-tub. Berseba cottage near Bot River in the Overberg region of the Western Cape fit the bill 120 percent, plus it was affordable too. Perched near the top of the hill on a working essential oils farm, it was all of our city-weary prayers answered at once. But let's get back to the snazzy new Micra, and the many reasons why we love it...

 

1. Styling looks

The new Micra Acenta Plus Tech is the flagship model, and at R299 900 its price tag proves it. It also gets the youthful and vibrant Energy Orange interior package as standard and a whole host of additional assistance systems. Not that the entry-level Micras are poorly specced at all, I have to add.

With its taut front end and stylish, futuristic headlamps, the Micra looks sharp, fashionable and focused. It's up against market leaders such as the VW Polo, so it needs to bring its A-game. 

The Micra's dashboard layout is clean, neat and ergonomic, and build quality is top-notch. Soft-touch surfaces and fingertip-friendly switchgear make It all feel very premium. My OCD especially loved the louvres of the circular air vents that close with a satisfying 'click'. 

 

2. Upmarket technology

The biggest interior highlight is the trapezoidal infotainment unit and its rectangular touchscreen with crisp graphics. Smartly integrated and nicely accentuated by the orange background, the touchscreen is your 'window' to what goes on around the car.

As part of Nissan's Intelligent Mobility Technology, the Acenta Plus Tech model gets Nissan's Intelligent Around View Monitor that enables you to have a 360-degree view of the Micra, and everything around it.  Moving Object Detection will warn you of pedestrians, bicycles, or any traffic coming towards you. And once you slot the gear-lever into reverse, the screen splits in two, so you immediately see the rear-camera's view, as well as the view from the top. These features are normally reserved for more expensive cars, and  are hardly what you'd expect from an upper B-segment hatch!  Another nice touch is the Nissan Advanced Drive Assist Display screen between the odo- and speedometer that relays information (such as estimated range and fuel consumption) to you.

Oh, and there's smartphone mirroring too via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. You simply plug your phone into the USB port, and you're good to go. There's even a dedicated Siri button on the steering wheel if you need to send an urgent Whatsapp or navigate somewhere using Google Maps, or other compatible apps. A multitude of satellite buttons on the steering wheel allow you to access and control many other functions, such as making and receiving telephone calls, cruise control, and audio streaming.

 

3. It's only small from the outside

The Micra is small and light, but the designers and engineers have succeeded in creating quite a spacious cabin. Two tall adults will be quite happy to tag along in the rear seats on longer journeys, and a child can sit in-between (there's a three-point seatbelt in the centre too). The front windows are electric, but the rear windows wind down manually. The boot is a practical 300 litres, thanks to a space-saver spare wheel.  The rear seat can be split and folded if you need more room to pack larger items.

 

4. Its supple ride and grown-up handling

The journey to Bot River isn't a long one. From Hermanus, It requires a short stint on the R43 and then a small section of smooth, fast N2. (From Cape Town, it's just about an hour's drive on the N2 only.) Then, as soon as you see Gabriëlskloof Wine Estate, you turn onto the Swart River Road, which is gravel. After some heavy rains, this road was deeply rutted in some parts, but the Micra pretended it was a crossover, and with safety tech like Active Trace Control, there was no feeling of uncertainty underfoot. Trace control (which is an extension of stability control) works by applying braking on individual wheels, for better cornering stability. Oh, and let's not forget Intelligent Ride Control which also makes use of near-imperceptible braking for a less jittery ride over poor road surfaces.

The long and short of it? The Micra's suspension is surprisingly pliant, and the ride is always composed, even over somewhat uncivilised terrain. Even at highway speed and beyond, the Micra feels as stable as a life-coach at a day spa. (After rigorous handling-track testing for the 2019 AutoTrader Car of the Year competition, the Micra took its rightful place as one of the top 12 finalists, so it is worth its salt...)

 

5. Pretty powerful performance, for a sub-1-litre power-plant!

Would you believe that there's only a three-cylinder, 898 cc engine at work here? It is turbocharged, of course, to give the Micra a wholesome 66 kiloWatts of power and a top speed of 170 km/h. While the 0-100 km/h sprint time is done in a commendable (but slow-sounding) 12.5 seconds, in reality it does feel more zesty. You can hear the delightful whistle of the turbo once you start stirring that slick 5-speed manual gearbox about. 

 

6. It's such a light sipper...

The tiny turbocharged engine is highly efficient, and even when pushing on, we never found the trip computer to venture beyond the 6 litres per 100 km mark. The new Micra shares an engine with the Renault Clio, which is known for being highly economical. 

 

7. European-spec safety features 

Apart from the advanced safety equipment mentioned above, the Micra comes with ABS with EBD and brake assist as well as hill-start assist, front fog lamps, time-delay headlamps, a blind-sport monitor, and six airbags. The Micra Acenta Plus Tech has the ability to come to a stop if it senses a frontal collision is imminent. This is next-level safety tech which is also found in the top-spec Nissan Qashqai! And, together with the Nissan Assured 6-year/150 000 km warranty and 3-year service plan, you also get 24/7 roadside assistance.

 

Should you consider the Micra?

The Micra is a delight to drive and whether you're a bit of a slow-coach or a petrol-head in a hurry, the Micra is sure to save you fuel, suit your image, keep you super safe, and be comfortable on whichever surface you and the Micra find yourselves.

 

Thinking about de-stressing at Berseba Cottage?

You can melt the winter chill from your bones by spending hours in the wood-fired hot tub, while sipping on a glass of wine and giving your tired eyes some respite as you gaze at the purple Houw Hoek mountains in the distance. 

Berseba Cottage is currently running its Winter Warmer Special for the months of June, July and August 2019. If you book two weeknights, you get a 10 percent discount. For three weeknights, you'll get a 20 percent discount. Four weeknights gets you a 30 percent discount. 

Visit Berseba's website or Facebook page for more details, or call 072 174 9696. Alternatively, you can send an email to info@bersebacottage.co.za.

 

Recommended reading

1. Is the Nissan Micra good for new drivers?

2. Nissan Micra vs. Mazda2 vs. Renault Clio: Which offers the best value for money?

3. What is covered under the Nissan Micra's manufacturer warranty?