Nissan Micra 'Review the long term, the final report

After spending one year as part of our fleet, this hatchback is now entrenched themselves into our long-term family. Due to its compact size, it is easy to take Micra out for a spin to test the grit on the streets of the city, and it left us quite impressed.

I use the car mostly to make the road from home to work. In traffic, the wind to drive, thanks to a fresh three-cylinder and 1.2-liter motors. It's punchy and has a part throttle response, good to get into gaps in traffic. Throttle response is jerky bits and does not need to familiarize themselves in a situation of bumper-to-bumper. On the open road, as you step on the gas pedal, mid-range makes overtaking easy enough.

  Machine pulled all the way to 6,800rpm limit, but this is not something you want to do very often because of two reasons: first, because the 1,198cc engine revs sounding rubbish and secondly, almost all of that noise will filter into the cabin, which is not very isolated - you may even have to shout to be heard over the din.

steering is light and easy to use, especially in the cut and thrust of traffic naughty Mumbai. At the same time, it was pretty accurate, making good handler Micra. Decent dynamics is also evident in how a car like this is for the toss around the corner. Yes, the soft suspension and this caused a bit of body roll, but nothing that will take away from the driver confidence. Also, the soft suspension setup allows Nissan to maneuver damaged roads efficiently and quietly.  

Aside from good urban behavior, Micra is not good enough on the highway as well, due in part to the strong response of the motor gasoline as you pile on the revs, and partly to a good straight-line stability. What takes away from otherwise decent driving experience is the thin tires. They could not afford a lot of grip and will prevent you from being adventurous in this car.

compact dimensions, easy-to-maneuver nature makes it a capable city runabout.

In terms of features, this car even middle-trim well specced. There are useful features such as keyless go, which is very useful when you need to get in, but have your hands full. Bluetooth audio system works well, but there's no steering wheel-mounted controls. Of note is that the mid-level car, the horn extends to the side of the wheel and this allows for a smooth driving (this feature is not available on higher trim).

the level of quality and fit-finish in a decent though not brilliant. The large glass worthy of mention. On the one hand, it allows better visibility, in turn, enhance the ability to maneuver in the city and on the other hand, the air-con who takes more time to work effectively. And the air-con unit was quite noisy, with the hum of the compressor interfere slightly into the cabin.

front seat comfort is fair, even though in the back, the bench is too low and flat; it sort of leaves thigh rear passengers' unsupported and make long-distance travel a little trying. But packing in the trunk for those out-of-town trips to be simple enough to boot a generous 251-liter. There is no split in the back seat though, the entire seat back flips down to create more space.

fuel economy stands at around 10-12 kpl town, not too impressive for a three-cylinder unit, but what is more disconcerting is the display of a digital fuel gauge. It continues to fluctuate, which makes the Micra is very scary to take on a long drive on a lesser-known routes.

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