Nissan's 1.2 litre petrol bomb!

On my way to IC Nissan Kempton to pick up the new Micra, I didn't really have high hopes, never having been a fan of the first generation. After meeting with the sales manager and signing the necessary paperwork, I was lead out to a tangerine Micra 1.2 Acenta and handed the keys to what was to be my test vehicle.

After settling into the driver’s seat and turning on the ignition, I was greeted by an orange illuminated 'Hello!' from the on-board computer. So far, so good. After turning out of the dealership, I put my foot down to enter the traffic, expecting a sluggish and irresponsive take off from the little 1.2 three cylinder. I was to be disappointed. The little car shot off with more gusto than I could have imagined from its 56 kW powerplant. Before I knew it, I was enjoying myself.

Ok. Before I get carried away, I’d better take a step back from my first impressions. After all, 200 metres isn’t quite enough driving time to formulate an opinion on a car. The new Micra is a vast improvement on the old. Some have voiced that they would miss the old models quirkiness and eccentricities. I am not one of them. I would rather have a rabid weasel shoved down my shorts than revert back to the old styling. The new car is more grown up and just looks more spacious. The lines are instantly recognisable as a Micra, but the car has truly come into its own. It has a bold spectrum of colours available to suit most buyers from the flamboyant to the conservative and the interior trim is a nice practical shade of darker grey.

The interior is ergonomically well proportioned, with good quality controls that feel good to the touch. With the drivers position feeling a little higher than most in this class and height adjustable steering, all but the most oddly proportioned should have no trouble getting a comfortable fit behind the wheel. A colleague of mine who stands 1,87 metres tall still sat in comfort with ample headroom behind the wheel. In the rear seats were a bit tight if there happened to be four large growing lads in the car, but hey? There isn’t a car in this segment that isn’t. It does however have more than the average. What did impress me was the specification level for a car in this price range. There are not many vehicles for R127 500 that will give you central locking, front electric windows, an audio system with auxiliary input and an on-board computer. My only real gripe was that the trim was plasticky, but for this price, I would not complain.

This guise of the Micra has a punch 1.2 litre, three cylinder motor that pushes out 56kW and 104NM of torque. The interesting thing is that it doesn’t sound like a three cylinder, nor does it behave like one. In my opinion, Toyota’s award winning T1 three cylinder motor doesn’t hold a candle to the drivability of this unit. It is responsive and has a good amount of grunt over the 4000rpm range. The steering is light with a small turning circle making it ideal for heavy traffic and parking too. The brakes have a different feel to them. You really have to depress your brake pedal and exert pressure for heavy braking. After climbing out of a car with oversensitive servo-assistance, it might take a day or two to adjust. All the safety bells and whistles are there though with ABS, EBD and a Brake Assist System. With driver and passenger airbags, Nissan seems to have covered the bases.

As far as the drive is concerned, that’s where the little Micra shone. The little Nissan’s marketing catch-phrase is ‘In sync with the city.’ and I can tell you it is equally at home zooming around on the highways and has enough grunt keeping up with the traffic. With cars in this segment they can feel one of two ways. They can feel like a car, or a ‘karitjie’. I can say without a doubt that the Micra feels like a car. The Yaris and Polo Vivo will now have to keep an eye out. The competition has just brought the fight to them.

I would like to thank IC Nissan Kempton Park for supplying the test vehicle. For more information, please contact Murry Nienaber (011) 394 9330 or mnienaber@um.co.za.