The Upcoming Nissan Micra 2018 India: A Quick Sneak Peek

My good friend totally lost himself telling me about his newly purchased vessel – the Nissan Micra of fifth gen; how the car itself has won the Gold Supermini Award just last year – 2017 in the UK, how the current 2018 model of the fifth generation ticks most of the boxes clients looking for a supermini. Don’t get me wrong! I enjoyed listening to him boasting about his babe as things turn out that I’ve been taking a certain amount of interest in the car for since like back at uni and gathering my own hoard to get one myself; and according to my dear pal Sarga, this year sounds like the right time for a massive transaction like buying a car. I confess the nudge came out of jealousy.

So what is all this stir about? You may ask. Simply put, a new-gen Nissan Micra is bound to be launched in India soon, and a stir would not be enough to describe the furor such advent will create. 

The word “stir” itself would not be enough to describe the furor created by the advent of the 2018 Nissan Micra

1. Nissan Micra 2018 Performance: What Is It Like To Drive

The European market will once again see the familiar non-turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol engine which delivers 70bhp of power and 71Nm of torque. The motor didn’t strike much as a desirable unit as it took the motor around 18 seconds to reach from 0-62mph. Moving on to the more powerful turbocharged 0.9-litre petrol engine, besides the shorter while of acceleration, it emits only 99g of CO2/km – very impressive you can say. And the best piece for the last moment, we have the smooth 1.5-litre diesel engine.

The Micra performed decently dealing with uneven roads thanks to the stiffly-sprung suspension. The body roll generally doesn’t raise any big concern; the vehicle gets firm grips on sunny days and poor grip on rainy ones. Apart from the 1.5-litre diesel engine, NVH is another issue which needs real attention considering the noise the 1-litre and 0.9-litre engines produce when they reach higher revs.

It is not clear what engines the Indian market will receive from Nissan. The situation suggests the re-emergence of the 1.5-litre diesel and 1.2-litre units

In the case of the Indian market, it is expected that the couple of the 1.5-litre diesel engine which generates 63.12bhp & 160Nm and the 1.2-litre petrol counterpart with an output of 75.94bhp & 104Nm. These two units are the current motors that power the hatchback model of Nissan. Regarding gearbox, there hasn’t been yet any intel of which transmission will go with which engine; as far as we have learned, the likelihood is that 5-speed manual and CVT automatic gearboxes may get employed.

2. Nissan Micra 2018 Exterior

This refreshed 2018 model of Nissan Micra saw significant improvement in terms of cosmetic changes

This refreshed 2018 model of Nissan Micra saw significant improvement in terms of cosmetic changes. We can easily notice Nissan’s typical V-motion Grille accenting the front end and the signature floating roof which is similar to that of its sibling the Nissan Kicks, pushing dramatic styling to the edge. 

Redesigned light set and V-motion grille make up a great deal to the vessel’s overall transformation

The entire light set is upgraded by adding Squinty LED headlamps and employing wrap-around Boomerang taillamps. Meanwhile, the sides receive a new set of 17-inch alloy wheels and see the back door handles being hidden, making profile per se and whole car, in general, look more stylish and elegant than ever. There are 6 paint colours to opt and it goes like this: Orange Metallic, Passion Red, Ivory, Solid White, Platinum Silver and Echo Gray.

3. Nissan Micra 2018 Interior Layout

High-resolution 7-inch touch screen appears on Acenta variants, making its way to the top-grade model

High-resolution 7-inch touch screen appears on Acenta variants, making its way to the top-grade model with neat button layout and has compatibility with Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink. The thing is you will have to make another small investment to get sat-nav and DAB radio. Driver’s seat is adjustable so you can make height adjustment for comfy driving positions.

Convenience elements come with Nissan Micra Auto Climate Control which is in charge of adjusting the cabin’s temperature based on the outside weather conditions; Keyless Entry System and Start/Stop System to save fuel with the car being stationary. The ride is maintained quiet thanks to the windscreen’s acoustic glass, thick noise insulation, and extensive door seals.

Coming to the car’s aspect of security, Micra features an excellent package of safety which consist of tyre pressure monitoring system which will undisturbedly notify you of the tyres’ status and when you need to inflate them; the redesigned ISOFIX attachment makes the task of buckling up/off easier; 6 airbags are standard equipment along with seat belt warning and seat belt height adjustment; and steering wheel to vibrate if it senses that you are driving off your lane.

Rather than the ideal storage compartment of 300 litres which beats that of the Volkswagen Polo and the Ford Fiesta, storage space also takes the form of cupholders for beverages and convenient spacious glovebox for your papers, snack and other stuff.

4. Nissan Micra 2018 Price

5. Nissan Micra 2018 Specification

Let’s wrap this all up by voice up what is to like and not to like after drive test:

Three big fat “Yes” for the smart interior, superb safety kit, and high-spirited petrol engine. On the other hand, there is a lot of room for improvement of rear headroom and handling, and more than that, the overinflated prices (Rs. 5.99 – 7.28 Lakhs * Ex-Showroom Price in New Delhi) will sure discourage buying to an extent. But hey! It’s quite unnecessary the haggle considering all the equipment and features contributing to making this version possible. And just to you guys who happen to share my thought, this supermini of a babe at a point is a compact version of an SUV from the luxury line-up; yes! Small but neat and very desirable. Because if you are intrigued enough to make it to the bottom line here reading this, you owe yourself a Nissan Micra to expand the experiences you have already had with cars.

The overinflated prices will sure discourage buying to an extent

>>> Check our reviews of the latest car models from IndianAuto.com.