Nissan Micra facelift

Value. It is what the Indian consumer is looking for. Whether it is the world’s cheapest car or the best car in the world, we want the most bang for our buck, and this is most apparent in our market’s fast-growing hatchback segment. There are two ways to approach the concept of ‘value’ – one, to offer a low price. Sure, there will be compromises on quality, but you essentially get more car for your money. The other is to provide extra features at the same price as the competition. Nissan had tried the former with the original India-spec Micra, but with the imminent launch of budget sub-brand Datsun, they’re taking the Micra brand to the place it usually occupies in the markets it is present in: the premium end of the hatchback segment.

This is where the facelift has got the most difference – the nose is completely different and it starts with a new bumper. It has a lot more lines on it, and the fog lamp cutouts are now quite Hyundai. There is a chrome underscore for the lower grille, and the upper grille now tapers at both ends and has a V-shaped chrome addition that is reminiscent of the international models. The headlamps have gone from organic round ‘eyes’ to an angular arrowhead shape. From the front this truly is a new car.

Walk around to the side, and you can see that Nissan has missed out on an opportunity – beside the lovely new alloy wheel design, there isn’t a single stand-out feature to suggest that this is a redesigned car. The creases from the front bumper merge into the wheelarch and become a slightly stronger shoulder line.

There is no obvious extra crease in the doors; they’ve even left the oval side indicator on the front fender and eschewed mirror-mounted indicators! This is a definite no-no if you want to appear premium, and it is puzzling that it isn’t present especially when the Micra Primo offered it.

At the back the big change is the rear bumper. Like the front, it juts out more and has more cuts and creases on it. The number plate recess is a hexagonal one, and there’s an underscoring crease as well. What makes it look odd is, the exhaust pipe is hidden so well that you can’t see it most of the time – a chrome-tipped exhaust would have gone down a storm with the snazzy lines – and the hatch needed a lip to help it merge with the added length of the new bumper.

The tail-lamps are new as well; though they retain the same shape as the original, the brake lamps are now LED strips. The internal elements have been rearranged as well, and by itself it does look like an improvement over the old tail-lamps. Oh, and no one will point out that one reverse bulb isn’t working any more, because they’ve thrown in a bulb apiece for each side. The new lens has a sharply defined ‘edge’ to it, and it makes it look like the Micra’s hips have gotten wider – not necessarily a good thing.

The new exterior design is surely a significant step up from the old model. More people will like it because it isn’t effeminate – but it doesn’t seem like a cohesive design like the old one was, and I’m not sure it will age as gracefully.

This is where the extent of the Micra facelift truly hits you – the interior has changed just as much as, if not more than, the exterior. Some of it is subtle – the seat fabrics have changed, as have the sun visors – and some of it will be noticed even before you settle in, like the new centre console and steering controls.

Slip into the driver’s seat, and the first thing that you’ll notice is that new center console. It’s now another shared part with the Sunny. The rectangular vents at the top look slightly out of place, but the chrome accents make it look more premium than before. It’s the same with the silver rings for the two remaining circular vents. The audio system has changed as well; the integrated unit that had no Bluetooth or USB connectivity and that made it very difficult to upgrade to a standard 1- or 2-DIN unit has been replaced by a standard 2-DIN head unit that has all connections that you could want, including aux, USB and Bluetooth. It is a simple-looking unit and it still isn’t one of the best in the segment but it gets the job done.

The climate control remains the same – the center console is finished in gloss black for the top-spec variants, and matt grey for the rest. I’m not sure I’d want a gloss black centre console, it is much too prone to fingerprints and scratches.

Other differences discernible from the driver’s seat are the new fonts and positioning of the multi-function display. The fonts are clearer to read than before, and more pleasing to the eye. The XV variants also offer driver’s seat height adjustment now. The good bits like the six-step intermittent wiper speed, rear defogger, rear wiper and twin gloveboxes remain.

There is no change to the design of the cabin, so the space and comfort remain as good as before, but backseat occupants will be happy to hear that the front passenger seat back now has a pocket – giving the backseat occupant at least one place to stow things besides the sole cup holder in the centre.

Nissan claims that NVH has been improved as well, but the only discernible change on our short drive was the engine note: a lot of harshness has gone from the petrol’s noise thanks to increased sound deadening in the firewall.

The Micra now offers ABS on five out of seven variants, meaning that only the base models do not get the safety feature – a complete (not to mention welcome) turnaround from the previous one, where ABS was available only on the petrol XV. Get the automatic and you’ll even get four airbags, which is good, but not equal to the i20 auto’s six airbags.

There is nothing new about the engine – it retains the 1.2-litre, three cylinder petrol engine and the 1.5-litre dCi diesel. What is new is the option of an automatic transmission mated to the petrol engine. This is unique because export models have a supercharger and the auto ‘box, but India gets no blower because of the cost it will mean. The gearbox is the same CVT from the Sunny, carried over with Sport mode and a Low mode – a very pleasantly surprising feature set. The gearing is the shortest that this gearbox has had for the Micra, thanks to the car’s light weight. It elevates the Micra to one of the leading contenders if you want a city car.

The suspension hasn’t been changed either, since the car’s weight hasn’t changed. The automatic gearbox does add around 25kg more to the nose of the car, but it is a negligible amount. Handling remains better suited to the city than the highway. Word of advice here: if your Micra is shod with the Maxxis tyres, switch to the Bridgestone or MRFs, you will be much happier with them.

I’m not personally a fan of the new design, because it doesn’t look cohesive to me. Luckily for Nissan, the general public will disagree with me and the new Micra will turn heads wherever it goes. On the inside, the new Micra is a much improved, much nicer place to be. It’s easy to see what Nissan has done; they’ve raided the Sunny parts bin to good effect. What this also means is that the price increase won’t be as much as we expect it to be. The Micra brand still has to establish itself in the Indian psyche, and the one thing holding it back is the quality of service that Nissan offers. If Nissan can fix that – and surprise us with the price – then we don’t see why you shouldn’t opt for the Micra.