More Micra models ahead

Nissan's Micra mini car will be offered with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder powerplant when the new model is launched locally late this year but buyers can also expect the option of at least one three-cylinder version in the lineup.

The new 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine is rated at a city-suited 58kW/108Nm. A more powerful, direct injection supercharged three-cylinder unit is also under consideration for the local range but it will not be released until 2011. The supercharged engine has 72kW power and 142Nm torque, and Nissan says emissions will be below 100g/km.

The new Micra will be available with a five-speed manual, CVT or automatic transmission. Local spokespersons at the car's launch in Geneva this week would not confirm which options will be offered to Australian customers.

Nissan Australia will sell only the five-door hatch model "unless the segment moves" towards more light sedan sales, Managing Director Dan Thompson told the Carsales Network.

Pricing will resemble the price point of a three-door hatch in the Light Car segment, according to Thompson's plans.

"Things could change between now and when we go to launch but that essentially is the price position we're looking at," he said. "Even though it’s a five-door only [range] we're confident we can provide pricing to go head-to-head with what's being sold in the market today at a three-door price."

Sourcing the car from Thailand and the Free Trade Agreement will help the competitive pricing, along with gains in manufacturing turnaround for the new model, Thompson added.

The current K12 Micra has regularly met local sales targets for the auto-only offering however Nissan Australia wants to significantly increase sales with a wider range.

Launching first with the four-cylinder model is a safe option as Nissan is convinced Australian Micra buyers will demand a larger engine.

That requirement is not necessarily rational according to Vincent Cobee, program director for Nissan's new V platform used by the fourth-generation Micra.

"Some markets have rational or irrational preferences for powertrains," he told local motoring media at Geneva. "And we take that into account at the very minimum for the launch of a vehicle.

"[But] We believe that the total value of a car includes affordable eco-friendliness, which would be better served by a three-cylinder engine."

Cobee suggests markets like Australia will adapt to accepting smaller engine options.

"We see many markets evolving very quickly on such subjects," he said. "Talking about three-cylinders in the US, for example, would have been considered crazy only two years ago.

"Mentality is changing because you've got 80 horsepower from a three-cylinder engine; nearly 100 horsepower from the supercharged version... How much power do you really need for a city car?"

Cobee also argues that city-suburban travel can be accommodated by a small-capacity car.

"There is a perception that inter-city driving requires a large engine. But that perception has been completely killed in Europe and Japan.

"When we looked at product supply for Australia it was very interesting because fundamentally it's very much like Europe... You are Europe in the south of Asia."

The new Micra arrives in December this year.

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