2013 Nissan Micra Active

Buying experience: The Car I bought was the 2015 model. I bought it in the month of June, 2015 and since then the Car has never let me down when it comes to the performance aspect and sense of space. This Car is the entry level Car of Nissan India. I chose this Car for its uniqueness and exterior looks. Riding experience: I spend most of the time in the driver's seat and when I say it feels spacious, you got to trust me. There's ample amount of headroom and legroom. The car I have doesn't come with height adjustable driver's seat But I'm okay with the way the seat is being adjusted. I can see the bonnet of the car, though not fully. The rear seats has loads of space for 3 adults, and when time comes, you can fit in the 4th person without having a problem. The ride quality is on the softer side, honestly, and it succeeds in maintaining great stability on the open highways at speed of 100kph. Cruising on 100kph is not a problem. As the Car has the lowest ground clearance in its class at about 154mm, you need to completely slow down when you see a huge speed breakers. Otherwise, the Car will bottom it out. First I thought that 154mm is quite low but as I learnt to ditch the huge speed breakers with this Car, I feel that 154mm is enough if you have good driving ability, enough to tackle all your speed bumps out there on the tarmac. Out on the bad roads, the Car rides quite decent with decent amount of road noise, which should not be a problem for normal people. I took the Car out into deep corners, incline and ghats section and I didn't have any problem with the way the Car behaves and it quite delivers though you cannot go hard into a Corner. A recommended speed would be a good 75-80kph, go beyond that and the Car seems to roll quite a bit. When it comes to Steering, the Car fails miserably. It lacks feel and feedback and I can honestly say, that it is not an enthusiasts Car. The feedback from the steering wheel is good in city and highways, but when cornering is where it loses its steam. You have to be very careful into a corner or you may under steer. When, with 5 people, the Car's riding experience seems to be better than with 1 or 2 people. With 5, the Car absorbs all the bumps. Yes. Overall, a good riding experience with this Car. Details about looks, performance etc: The Car looks quite funky and oval in shape. The looks is unique and clean. Nissan India did a great job in keeping up the clean looks of the Car and disregarding all the sharp lines, found on the elite i20 and Swift. The looks of the Car tends to grow on you as you spend more time with Car. Let me tell you one thing, whenever I parked this Car, I always look back to it from a distance for the way it looks. Cute hatchback. And comes the most vital part of this Car, the Performance. When it comes to the performance Aspect, Nissan India have hit the ball right out of the park. The most peppy engine in its class for sure. It comes with a 1.2 litre naturally aspirated petrol engine (with no diesel option) But the tuning is different from other 1.2 litre petrol engine like that of the Maruti's or Hyundai's. The engine is tuned down for city usages. Hence the 67hp and 104 nm of torque unlike the others, 83/82hp and 115/114nm of torque. But I quite like the way the Car is being tuned. The gearbox performs decently as compared with the elite i20. The gear throws are okay and it is not as slick as that of its rivals. In fifth, 60kph comes in at about 1900rpm, 70kph at about 2000rpm and 100kph at about 3000rpm. The gear shift indicator pops up as soon as you hit the 1950rpm mark. The Car redlines at about 5250rpm and you can rev this Car hard without straining its engine. The low end and mid range is dull on this Car and you have to work on the gears if you want to overtake a moving vehicle in cities. The top end is where the engine shines, shoots past the 2000rpm mark, there's loads of torque and power delivery which is good for highway trips. The power comes in smoothly and linearly, and no jerks is felt with slamming hard on the gas pedal. The top end is insane in this Car. Thumps up for that, I'd give 9/10 for the way the engine behaves in the top end. The best crusing speed recommended for this Car is at around 90kph. The NVH level is good when all the windows is closed. Even with 5 people, the engine is punchy but you have to maintain its rev needle beyond 1800-1900rmp mark. In case if you need one, the engine idles at around 1100rpm. Servicing and maintenance: The service centres pays attention to you and your Car. I never had any issue with servicing. Though the service costs is high as compared to other companies. But for the high service costs, you cannot overlook what the Car delivers in reality. And the service costs is what leads the people into buying Cars from Maruti/Hyundai. If you don't show an understanding of a good car, good car will never be made at all. Micra Active is a good Car, I'm not against Maruti or Hyundai, nor am I a fanboy of Nissan India, I'm speaking this and writing this review from a enthusiast viewpoint. Pros and Cons: Pros: Good punchy engine Light steering for city The steering weighs up in high speed Self centering steering wheel Spacious Can fit 6 people. 4 people in the back, and 2 up front. Decent air throws from the AC. MID display. Stability on the highway. Powerful top end. Great high speed stability. Cons: Softer riding experience. Low ground clearance. Dull feedback from the steering wheel when cornering. Low and mid range is not up to the mark. Low power delivery below 2000rpm. Spongy brake pedals. Hard clutch but not too hard. Low profile tyres.