Nissan Micra

Nissan finally seems to get its act together in context to India. After sitting out of limelight with a handful of X-Trails and Teanas, Nissan is at last out of the closet and is all geared up to capture the enormous small car segment with the all new Micra.This new global small car project of Nissan has all that it takes to be successful and this very project can make the company taste success in India.

Nissan’s New ‘V Platform’

Nissan is all set to enter the Indian Car market with the new Micra. The V platform (V for versatile), focuses on reduction in both weight and number of components. It has been designed primarily for emerging markets, while simultaneously keeping in mind the needs of Western Europe car market.

Engineered by Nissan in Japan, this platform will help phase out 18 percent component parts from V-cars than Nissan’s previous small cars.

For example, this very platform helps reduce the dashboard components from 56 to just 28. That’s 50 percent reduction in usage which simply means less production costs. For weight reduction, Nissan has used a small capacity fuel tank and a light weight exhaust system.

Design

Needless to say, the shape of the car is cute but the simple rounded lines lack the design quotient of some of the small cars already present in Indian car market. It seems that Nissan has deliberately done this to give the new Micra a practical design that is gender free and focuses more on comfort, interior space and ease of driving. And this design and look is altogether different from the Chevy Beat, Honda Jazz and other futuristic looking cars that are currently ruling the hearts of the people in the Indian car market and are favorite among the youngsters and budding IT professionals.

For Indian market, the Micra will get a long travel suspension that uses the standard layout of MacPherson struts up front and a twist beam axle at the rear. For low rolling resistance and ride comfort, Micra will get 165/70-R14 tyres.

The interiors, which are not out of the closet as yet, have been described as simple but not cheap at all. And according to the engineers at Nissan, the rear seat will be the most spacious and comfortable in its class. The roofline, which doesn’t taper towards the rear, clearly shows that the rear headroom wil also be generous. Boot space is also expected to be on the lines of the passenger cabin space.

Engine

1.2 Litre 3 Cylinder Petrol Engine

Powering the Nissan Micra will be 2 powertrains.

The first one is the all new, lightweight and fuel efficient 3 cylinder 1.2 litre engine that has an offset crankshaft and low friction piston rings. This coupled with the V platform will make the micra the most fuel effi cient of the other hatches out there in the market.

The 1.2 Litre 3 cylinder motor is a scaled down version of the XH family of four cylinder unit. The motor features a four valve per cylinder head and twin overhead cams.

On the downside, this 3 cylinder engine isnt as smooth as its 4 cylinder counterpart and the noise and vibration levels will be on the higher side as compared to the competition waiting for the Micra

According to Nissan, the new Micra will be nearly 10 percent more fuel efficient, thanks to its lightweight construction methods. This clearly shows as Micra tipped the scales at 970 kgs, which makes it one of the lightest car in its class.

1.5 Litre 65 Bhp Turbo Diesel

The other powertrain doing the duty under the Micra’s hood would be the tried and tested 1.5 litre turbo diesel, the same which powers the Renault Logan. Power output is likely to be the same as of the Logan but in the substantially lighter Micra, the 65 bhp engine will feel more efficient and powerful

Price

There is no indication of the prices as yet but given the fact that the Micra is going to compete head on against the Swift and other small cars of its kind, the price would surely be competitive enough to make it stand out. And for that the price should be around Rs 4 lakh for the base model.