Nissan’s next generation Micra will get its first outing at the Paris Motor Show this week and it might be introduced as an entry-level car in South Africa.
Nissan’s next generation Micra will get its first outing at the Paris Motor Show at the end of September and it might be introduced as an entry-level car in South Africa.
The new car still has some body styling from the previous generation model, but it is built on a longer-wheelbase platform, which will also be used by Renault in the future. The Micra is known as the March in Japan.
A Nissan SA spokesman said they where looking for products to bring to South Africa. “We are looking at the Micra and how we can bring it here,” he said. “We want the Micra, we need an entry-level car and it’s just a matter of making the numbers work,” he said.
The Micra is the third new Nissan to be launched in 2002, following the current Primera and the X-Trail 4×4.
It is still a very compact car, compared with the model it is replacing despite a 72mm increase in wheelbase that offers more room for passengers and luggage. Space is increased further through a sliding rear seat, which provides the flexibility of either the rear leg room or the luggage volume offered by larger cars in the class above.
The Micra will use a new direct-injection 1,0-litre engine, which will be added to the current car’s 1,4-litre engine range. Larger powerplants will be borrowed from the next-generation Primera, including a 1,8-litre unit for top-spec versions.
Nissan describes the new version as more “assertive”. It has well defined volumes, arched lines, with a dominant shoulder line and a rounded roofline. The shape is full of curved lines broken by a full-length waistline crease.
The Micra has ellipsoid headlamps, which integrate wing-top sights to ease parking, framing a split grille.
The little Nissan also features an “intelligent key”, usually associated with more luxury models. It allows the driver to lock and unlock the car, and start the engine without inserting a key or card into the vehicle. The vehicle detects when the key is within 80 cm of the car and the doors are then unlocked by pushing a button. It also detects when the key is in the car and starts with just a turn of the switch. The car has automatic wiper operation and automatic air conditioning.
Nissan said its core target market was single women in their 20s and 30s. Nissan is hoping the new Micra will continue to be their volume seller in Europe. It was designed in Japan and Europe and will be built at the manufacturer’s plant in Sunderland.
Nissan will also unveil a third X-Trail variant at the Paris Show, which features a 2,5-litre petrol engine, as well as a Micra-based concept. The Micra C+C (Coupé and Convertible) concept is Nissan’s answer to the Peugeot 206 CC, but there is no word yet on whether it will go into production. There are also future plans for a Micra-based mini-MPV to be called the Micra Cube.
Nissan South Africa has not previously competed in the small-car market because its local holding company, Automakers, owned the Fiat franchise in South Africa. Nissan’s entry-level vehicles would have competed directly with Fiat’s small cars like the Uno and Palio.
But a new company, Fiat Auto SA, was established in January 1998. It is now responsible for the importation and distribution locally of all Fiat Auto and Alfa Romeo products. Nissan’s cheapest car is the Almera, which sells for about R118 000.
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