MOTORING NEWS - Nissan's Micra, which has been around for close to a decade, competes in a segment where first-time car buyers and singles would look at buying a value-for-money city car.
The second generation Micra was introduced in 2011 and was judged on par with Volkswagen Polo and Toyota Etios.
It has been a success story all along and for the 2018 model year, Nissan will introduce a new generation in South Africa. Meanwhile the Japanese car maker has added the Micra Active, which is a new derivative to the current range until the new Micra gets to local shores.
The changes are subtle, but park it next to current models and you will spot them.
The Micra Active comes with reworked head and tail lights.
The bumpers have also been tweaked a bit.
Inside you get a manual air-conditioning, front power windows, Bluetooth with audio streaming capability, a 12V power socket plus steering wheel adjustment and foldable rear seats - something that competitors offer at an additional cost.
The looks are spick and span, just like the rest of the Micra range.
Streets of Soweto
And launching the Micra through the streets of Soweto proved that this car suits the lifestyle of a funky young person. To underscore this, Nissan's Trendsetter Pack adds a body kit that gives the Micra a pleasantly aggressive look.
For R8 500 extra you get black alloys, a rear fin, mud flaps and chrome finish on the exhaust tip.
Good news is that the familiar four-cylinder 1,2-litre engine soldiers on with a capable 56kW and 104Nm.
The power and torque gets to the front wheels via a smooth five-speed manual transmission.
It is not intended as a race car, but will get you to 100km in about 13,2 seconds, according to the available statistics. Nissan says the Micra will return a decent 5,2-litres per 100km which would come in handy in today's economy.
The Micra Active will compete for buyers in the same segment as the Hyundai i10 1,1 Motion, the Polo Vivo 1,4 Trendline and the Renault Sandero 0,9t Expression.
Comfort Driving
On the road, the Micra feels relaxed, especially in urban areas, because of the light steering. It is a comfortable car and the seating in the front is positioned exactly right for comfortable driving.
The five-speed gearbox is easy to get around and the compact car has an excellent turning circle of 4,6m. The Micra fits easily into tight parking spaces.
In the safety department, it comes standard with ABS, EBD, Brake Assist, driver and passenger airbags plus ISOfix child seat anchorage in the second row.
Nissan asks R159 900 for its new Micra.
Good news is that Nissan offers the touch-screen navigation and infotainment system as a free accessory for the launch period of the car.
The system comes with TomTom mapping with live traffic, Bluetooth hands-free music streaming, USB input plus a built-in hard drive.
It is compatible with all iPhone and iPod models.
There are high-end optional extras for extra convenience such as a reverse camera, tyre pressure monitoring system and reverse parking sensors.
The Micra Active comes with a three year or 90 000km service plan and a six year or 150 000km warranty.
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