Nissan Micra2013 Review

Not so much:?
>> Four-star ANCAP rating
?>> Very slow to accelerate
>> Bluetooth control positioning

While there was a bit of tyre and road noise noted, the Micra’s three-cylinder engine was remarkably smooth and revved freely, albeit after some hesitation off-idle. The four-speed auto transmission was the best on test.

Sticking with the ‘light’ theme, we found the major controls to offer little in the way of haptic feedback. The throttle and brake pedals were sensitive in this respect, but still managed decent modulation. Also the Micra was the second-worst stopper here (60-0km/h in 17.8m).

The Micra was also the slowest accelerating vehicle in this company, taking 7.6sec to reach 60km/h. It’s surprising, then, that despite its thirst for revs -- especially when climbing steep grades and passing -- that the Micra averaged the third-best average fuel consumption figure at 7.5L/100km.

The most recent Micra ST model goes a step further by bringing the neat little five-door into direct competition with the Sub-Light class, with a pre on-road price tag of $13,490 for the five-speed manual and $14,990 for the automatic.

Micra is only available as a 1.2-litre three-cylinder.

Nissan brings a car slightly bigger (although only just in some cases; the Mitsubishi Mirage has a longer wheelbase and is equally as wide in the body) than others in the segment, though its equipment is essentially basic. The Micra ST comes, like most of peers (apart from the bare-bones Suzuki Alto GL), with air-conditioning, power front windows, a trip computer, Bluetooth telephony, and a four-speaker (single) CD/tuner.

Nissan once led the new car warranty pack in Australia but is now mid-field with its three-year/100,000km deal. The good thing, then, that roadside assistance is offered for the full warranty period. An extended warranty is optionally available for an additional fee.

Like the Holden Barina Spark and Suzuki Alto, the Nissan Micra rates only four ANCAP stars.?

The upper dash plastics are a bit too shiny, but they’re nicely textured. The urethane steering wheel’s texture felt up to scratch too -- better than the Mirage’s leather-clad wheel.

One glitch we noticed was a difference in quality between the cloth on the front seats and what was on the rear seats. The Micra also has cloth panels on its front door cards.

Other issues? Well, the lid for the upper glovebox had a hard, almost sharp edged around the latch area, the bare plastic exterior door handles were starting to go grey and you can see the inside of the rear bumper through the wheel wells.

Other than that though, the Micra seems like a quality vehicle.

Inside the cabin, Micra also makes good use of its five-seat cabin space, offering good width and legroom even for those in the rear seats. That said, rear headroom is quite limited.

A trick ‘double glovebox’ is split by an exposed central section for additional oddment storage.

Although the steering wheel houses audio controls, the Bluetooth (phone) operation resides to the right of the steering column alongside the mirror adjustment on the lower fascia. This is less than perfect ergonomically and can create additional distractions for the driver.

The spacing of the pedals was commented on positively by our testers, as was the ability to see the instrument panel clearly through the wheel.

Small exterior mirrors notwithstanding, external vision also came in for praise all-round, with no ‘up-sweep’ surrounding the rear window frames to restrict rear three-quarter vision.

Drivers seat height adjustment is a handy feature, though the driving position remains quite upright. Rear seating was marked down for being overly firm, yet unsupportive.

On the road the triple/autobox combination is smooth in its take up and less thrashy than the Alto, Mirage, or Barina Spark. A negative is the sound of the air-conditioning compressor engaging can be quite noticeable in the cabin.

Standard audio components include (single) CD, MP3 and 3.5mm auxiliary input (located in the glovebox). Good sound quality is delivered through four speakers, and, location aside, the Bluetooth hands-free voice-control phone system works a treat. It offers easy pairing and voice-control is simple to operate.

Driver and front passenger windows are electric, but the rear windows are manually operated. The driver has control over the front passenger window and wing mirrors are electric, too.

The inclusion of three front-of-cabin lights and a boot light strengthens the Micra’s already good credentials.

Nissan Micra (from $13,490 / as tested $14,990)
Engine: 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol
Output: 56kW/100Nm
Transmission: Four-speed automatic
Fuel/CO2: 6.5L/100km / 154g/km
Wheels/Tyres: 14x5.5-inch / 165/70
Safety: Six airbags / Four-star (ANCAP)
Metallic Paint: $495