Nissan Micra long term review, final report

The dependable hatchback spent almost a year with us and has left us impressed with its breadth of abilities.

Published on Apr 11, 2016 08:00:00 AM

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Nissan Micra long term review, final report

Compact dimensions, easy-to-manoeuvre nature makes it a capable city runabout.

1.2-litre petrol unit is punchy and has good part-throttle responses.

Steering is a breeze to use owing to its light nature and it’s accurate as well.

Quality levels and fit-finish inside are decent though not brilliant. The large glasshouse deserves a mention. On one hand, it enables better visibility, in turn, improving manoeuvring abilities in the city and on the other, it takes the air-con that much more time to work effectively. And the air-con unit is quite noisy, with the compressor’s hum intruding quite a bit into the cabin.

Seat comfort is fair up front, although at the back, the bench is too low and flat; it sort of leaves rear passengers’ thighs unsupported and makes long-distance trips a little trying. But packing in luggage for those out-of-town trips should be quite simple with the generous 251-litre boot. There is no split on the rear seats though, the whole bench back flips down to make more room.

Fuel economy stands at 10-12kpl around town, not too impressive for a three-cylinder unit, but what was more disconcerting was the digital fuel gauge display. It kept fluctuating, which made the Micra particularly daunting to take for long drives on lesser-known routes.

All in all, at the end of nearly a year as an Autocar long termer, notwithstanding the minor niggles
like less-than-impressive fuel economy, jerky low-speed response and poor levels of cabin insulation, the Nissan Micra impressed with its breadth of abilities, both as a reliable city runabout and the occasional
highway tripper.