A rejuvenated compact hatchback, lots of information in short paragraphs.
What you need to know: The Nissan Micra was never a huge sales success – well, at least not in Namibia – but it always represented a solid second choice to the evergreen Polo or once-popular Yaris. And just like those two chief rivals, this Nissan has shaken its frumpy image in favour of a much sharper design and cool tech.
More facts: What you’re looking at is a generation five model, introduced around 2017/2018 although riding on the same platform as its gen-four ancestor. The one before that, generation three, was also known as the Nissan March and has become quite a familiar sight on Namibian roads. See what I mean about the design?
To keep things simple, Nissan S.A. only offers one engine and three trim levels. A 900cc three-cylinder turbo-petrol sends its 66kW or 140Nm through a five-speed manual gearbox to the front wheels while your choice of Visia, Acenta or Acenta Plus (as tested here) determines the amount of onboard toys.
Where we went: Quite a few places in and around town where our metallic grey car with its bright orange accents drew the odd glance and one impromptu fan-club. The Micra feels at home in the hustle and bustle of a city centre thanks to its compact dimensions, diminutive turning radius and lenient ride/handling.
Watch out for: In what appears to be a Nissan trademark these days, I disliked this hatchback’s messy power delivery. From the predictable turbo hole below 1,500rpm, its engine rockets forward in the mid-range but completely runs out of ideas beyond 5,000rpm. Also, the steering wheel and (Navara?) dials seem a bit oversized.
Why you’ll want one: Easy. Great looks, modern amenities and a fair amount of space (300-1000L boot) at competitive prices. This model costs about N$290,000 and alleges to use just 5.1L/100km from its 41L fuel tank. Nissan claims a top speed of 170km/h and 0-100km/h in 12.1 seconds… our best was 10.84 at sea level.
For the record, VW’s 1L Polo is more powerful on paper but we recorded an almost identical 0-100 best of 10.88 seconds while the naturally-aspirated 1.5L Yaris S managed 10.30. All three have ABS and ESP, USB and Bluetooth. Micra lacks navigation but sports 17 vs the others’ 16-inch alloys. The Toyota has seven airbags, the other two have six.
Every Micra is sold with a class-leading six-year/150,000km warranty and three-year/90,000km service plan.
FULL SPECLIST
| Engine: | 0.9L i-3 turbo-petrol |
| Transmission: | 5-speed manual, FWD |
| Max. Power: | 66kW |
| Max. Torque: | 140Nm |
| Avg cons.: | 7.0L/100km (claimed 5.1) |
| 0-100km/h: | 10.84 seconds |
| Top Speed: | Claimed 170km/h |
| List Price: | R283,900 (ZA) |
Performance:
0-10km/h: 0,58 seconds
0-20km/h: 1,17 seconds
0-30km/h: 1,74 seconds
0-40km/h: 2,74 seconds
0-50km/h: 3,75 seconds
0-60km/h: 4,76 seconds
0-70km/h: 5,87 seconds
0-80km/h: 7,60 seconds
0-90km/h: 9,20 seconds
0-100km/h: 10,84 seconds
0-110km/h: 13,04 seconds
0-120km/h: 15,71 seconds
0-130km/h: 18,40 seconds
0-140km/h: 21,61 seconds
0-150km/h: 25,79 seconds
0-100m: 7,54 seconds @ 79,64km/h
0-200m: 11,46 seconds @ 103,51km/h
0-300m: 14,72 seconds @ 116,27km/h
0-400m: 17,68 seconds @ 127,33km/h
100-0km/h: 2,86 seconds @ 40,74 metres (once-off)
Maximum deceleration G-force: 1,09G
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0-10mph: 0,95 seconds
0-20mph: 1,85 seconds
0-30mph: 3,56 seconds
0-40mph: 5,23 seconds
0-50mph: 7,67 seconds
0-60mph: 10,26 seconds
0-70mph: 13,75 seconds
0-80mph: 18,04 seconds
0-90mph: 23,48 seconds
1/4 mile: 17,74 seconds @ 79,25 mph
Maximum acceleration G-force: 0,53G
Altitude: 60m
All data captured by Racelogic® Performance Box
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