Nissan Micra long term review first report

The rains have been lashing down on Mumbai. It’s a late monsoon and it looks like Mother Nature is hell-bent on making up for lost time. I’m making a dash fromthe foyer to the parking lot, both hands engaged in wielding an umbrella and a haversack. Luckily, I don’t have to hunt for the keys inmy pocket; the keyless entry on our mid-spec Nissan Micra XL comes to the rescue. I also don’t have to handle the phone with my wet hands because the Micra’s Bluetooth does a great job of automatically connecting to it. So far, it has already made things a tad easier.

I thumb the starter motor and set off into Mumbai’s dreaded ‘peak-hour-traffic’. What immediately strikes me is the fantastic almost-360-degree view you get from behind the wheel. The massive side windows, thin pillars and large windscreens in the front and rear create almost no blind spots. I find this especially useful during the heavy downpour as bikers tend to make a quick dash to shelter (read under the nearest flyover) and often pass with just inches to spare. Fantastic visibility is just one of the facets of the Micra’s easy-to-drive demeanour. I love how the light clutch is easy on my left calf, and the effortless steering combined with a tight turning circle converts many three-point turns into two-point ones.

In front of me sits a 1.2-litre three-pot motor. But its refined nature made it easy to fool my friend into thinking it’s a four-banger.  What stands out though is the Micra’s part-throttle response. At low speeds, I find it a bit too responsive for stop-and-go traffic — it took me a couple of days to get used to this. But the Micra works best when kept in its mid-range that has enough torque to overtake Sunday drivers without any fuss. I haven’t taken the little Nissan out on open roads much, but from the couple of times I did drive it to the outskirts of Mumbai, I was quite impressed with its highway manners. However, I wish its shoes were at least a size larger — these 165-section tyres feel a bit low on grip at higher speeds. Even with a moderately heavy foot, the Micra consistently returned 10.8kpl in the city. Not bad at all.