Nissan Micra 2007 Review - International

For a car heading into its fifth year of life, Nissan's Micra still looks fresh and drives with a surprising competence.

That's good news for Nissan Australia, which is re-entering the mini - or light car segment, as it's officially known - with Micra from December.

What you see here isn't exactly what we will get, however, as a minor refresh is due around August/September - there will be new wheels and a change to the grille, but the cheeky, rounded look and those bulbous headlights will remain.

If the Micra name is tinkling a few bells in the memory banks, it's because the previous-generation K11 version was sold in Australia between May 1995 and December 1997.

But its brief Australian life was killed off by unhealthy exchange rates, as the car was sourced from Nissan's Sunderland plant in the UK.

No such issues this time round, as our Micras will be coming from Japan. However, that means only the five-door hatch is available, so no three-door or foldingmetal- roof cabrio (at least for now)

The Micra will arrive with just a 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine mated only to a four-speed automatic transmission.

There will be two specification levels, with pricing expected to start between $16,000 and $17,000. Nissan forecasts niche volume of around 400 sales per month.

It's worth bearing in mind that Nissan doesn't have too much room in which to move with Micra, as the Tiida small car is priced from $17,990. And the two have more in common than pricing, both employing the Nissan-Renault alliance B-platform.

The funny thing is that while Tiida is newer, it's the Micra that drives better.

The relatively simple strut/torsion beam suspension is quite firm, taking the edge off intrusions and road traumas, if not smothering them. The electric steering has more heft and certainty than is usual for these systems, while the handling is quite sure and grippy.

For its size, the DOHC 16-valve CR14DE engine spins willingly, with no suggestion of vibration or harshness in the higher rev ranges. It matches well with the auto, but the lack of a semi-manual change mode is a detraction, although there is an overdrive-off button.

Inside the Micra, plastic abounds, but not unpleasantly so. The front seats are large for a small car, but they're also flat, while the steering wheel adjusts for height only. In the rear, headroom is limited by the shape of the roof.

However, visibility, foot room and entry/exit are excellent. Boot capacity is a maximum 371 litres, but that's with the rear bench slid all the way forward, crippling rear seat passengers. It's unsure if Australia will get this feature.

In fact, Nissan isn't saying much at all about just what equipment Micra will come with, confirming only dual airbags, ABS (working on disc/drums) and a space-saver spare tyre. All will be revealed at the Sydney motor show in October.

MACHO MICRA NEXT?
After this initial launch, Nissan may extend the Micra family and bring in the Sport SR three-door.

Powered by a 81kW/153Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder, that drives via a five-speed manual, it's one of those cars that feels faster than it is - and is all the more fun because of it.

A natural rival would be the Mini Cooper. An official 0-100km/h time of 9l8sec isn't particularly encouraging, but that's compensated for by a rev-happy engine, crisp gearchange, grippy chassis, and responsive steering.

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