When Nissan says that the word revolutionary defines their all-new, fifth generation Micra, they aren’t mucking around, because just look at it! The new model is a massive progression from the one it is replacing, and has been re-positioned at the very heart of the European B-hatchback segment.
New Nissan Micra Design
Available only as a five-door model, the car is longer, lower and wider than ever before. The wheelbase is also longer. The new Micra is among the widest and lowest models in the B-hatchback segment.
| Dimension (mm) | Micra Gen5 | vs. Micra Gen4 |
| Overall length | 3999 | +174 |
| Overall width | 1743 | +78 |
| Overall height | 1455 | -55 |
Up front, the new Nissan Micra gets a shortened bonnet design and reduced A-pillar angle. The narrow headlamps stretch through the front wings and include signature LED daytime running lights on every trim level. Halogen headlamps are standard on all grades, with full LED lighting available as an option. The lights frame Nissan’s familiar ‘V-motion’ grille, including the new ‘flat-finish’ Nissan badge.
In profile, the car features a sloping roof line. Below it is the character line which runs the entire length of the new Micra’s body, dipping as it passes over the front door and sweeping upwards towards the rear. The black B and C-pillars create a floating roof effect, while the C-pillar is home to the discrete rear door handles.
At the rear are the new boomerang-shaped light clusters. Below them is the sculpted bumper which features a carbon-look finish as standard and hides the car’s exhaust pipe. Above is the standard rear roof spoiler.
The new Micra is available in 10 body colours. The solid finishes are Ivory and White, with Platinum Silver, Echo Grey and Enigma Black available as standard metallic finishes. The ‘character’ metallic colours are Energy Orange, Passion Red, Pulse Green and Power Blue, while Glaze White is the single pearlescent option.
Three of the colours – Energy Orange, Pulse Green and Passion Red – are unique to Micra, with the latter using a ‘tinted clear coat’ technology for a more vibrant finish. This is another first for the brand.
The exterior of the new Micra can be further enhanced with a number of personalisation elements. Also, it’s not just great to look at; the new Micra has a best-in-class drag coefficient of just 0.29, to maximise fuel efficiency.
New Nissan Micra Interior
The new Micra’s cabin is based around a T-shaped ‘gliding wing’ dashboard, while the instruments and controls have been grouped together. Two-tone and soft-touch materials are standard on every grade of Micra. Detailing includes the D-shaped multi-function steering wheel – also standard equipment – and chrome finishing on the door handles and air vents.
As for ergonomics, a rake/reach-adjustable steering wheel is standard, while the lowered seating position for driver and front passenger mean there’s more headroom for taller occupants.
The specially designed front seats claim to provide continuous back support, while the car’s increased width compared with the preceding model means enhanced elbow space for rear passengers, who also benefit from a claimed best-in-class shoulder and knee room.
Boot capacity is rated at 300 litres. That figure expands to 1,004 litres when the 60:40 split rear seats are folded down. Smart storage options are everywhere in the new Micra’s cabin. Larger items can be placed in the centre console ahead of the gear selector. It offers flat storage for a phone, and includes ambient lighting plus USB and 12v sockets.
The 10-litre glove box has been specifically shaped to take a two-litre drinks bottle, while bottles up to 1.5 litres will fit in the front door bins. Additionally, there are two cup holders between the front seats, plus another in the rear. Air-conditioning is standard on all but the entry level model, with automatic air-conditioning available on the higher grades.
The interior of the new Micra can be further enhanced with a number of personalisation elements. A first for the B-hatchback segment is the Bose Personal premium audio system, which offers a 360˚personal listening experience thanks to two speakers located in the driver’s seat head rest. The Bose Personal system has just six speakers – the others are in the front doors and the A-pillars – but Nissan and Bose claim that it is a case of quality over quantity.
The system is unique to the Micra. Nissan says that it uses a powerful lightweight digital amplifier hidden under the driver’s seat, creating a wide and immersive sound stage without the need for a space-filling bass speaker. The Bose Premium audio is standard on Tekna, and an option on Acenta and N-Connecta grades.
New Nissan Micra Infotainment (NissanConnect)
The new Micra’s NissanConnect infotainment system is standard on Tekna and N-Connecta grades, and optional on Acenta. The standard infotainment system on Acenta is called Display Audio, while Visia+ and Visia get the entry level system.
NissanConnect offers a 7-inch full-colour multi-touch display, DAB digital radio, satellite navigation and smartphone-style apps. Display Audio also has a 7-inch full-colour multi-touch display, and comes with Apple CarPlay as standard. When an Apple iPhone is connected via an Apple lightning cable it offers users Siri voice control, Apple maps with turn-by-turn navigation, plus access to music, telephone services and other apps such as Audiobooks and Spotify.
Complementing the audio unit is the driver-assist display, located in the combimeter between the two dials in the instrument cluster. It uses a high-definition five-inch TFT colour display to provide the driver with key information about the car and journey. It’s based on technology which Nissan developed for the Qashqai and X-Trail crossovers, and is controlled using dedicated steering wheel buttons.
New Nissan Micra Safety
The new Micra features a comprehensive suite of integrated safety technologies ever offered on a Nissan small car. They include Intelligent Lane Intervention, Intelligent Emergency Braking, Traffic Sign Recognition, High Beam Assist, Intelligent Around View Monitor, and Blind Spot Warning.
It also comes with six airbags as standard, plus seat belt warnings and seat belt height adjustment for the front and rear. Isofix child seats can be used with the new Micra, including in the front passenger seat. Electronic safety systems include Electronic Stability Program, anti-lock brakes, and Hill Start Assist. A speed limiter, automatic headlight sensor, automatic hazard lights and a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System are also fitted to every Micra.
New Nissan Micra Platform
The new Micra has been built on Nissan’s existing V-platform, and it features a new brushless electric power unit. Two other Nissan technologies include:
Intelligent Ride Control. This technology improves the Micra’s ride by using the engine and brakes to moderate the fore/aft pitching motion often felt when a car goes over larger bumps in the road, such as traffic calming measures. This moderation is supported by the shock absorbers, which dampen the vertical and pitch motions of the vehicle.
Intelligent Trace Control. When cornering, this system automatically engages and adjusts the brakes on the inside of the vehicle, and the wheels on the outside, to keep the Micra on the optimal line.
New Nissan Micra Engines
The new Micra is available with three downsized engines at launch – two petrol and one diesel. Two of the three engines on the new Micra are available with Idle Stop&Start ISS, which reduces fuel consumption when the vehicle is stationary. All launch engines are linked to a five-speed manual gearbox. Other engines and an automatic transmission are planned during the life cycle of the new Micra.
Performance data for the new Micra’s three engines is as follows:
|
Engine |
Cylinders |
Power PS (kw) |
Torque (Nm) |
Gearbox |
CO2 g/km (Fuel Economy l/100km) (Fuel Economy MPG) |
|||
|
15/16-inch wheels |
17-inch wheels |
|||||||
|
ISS |
w/o ISS |
ISS |
w/o ISS |
|||||
|
0.9-litre turbo petrol |
3 |
90 (66) |
140 |
MT5 |
99 (4.4) (64.2 mpg) |
N/A |
104 (4.6) (61.4 mpg) |
N/A |
|
1.0-litre nat. asp. Petrol |
3 |
71 (52) |
95 |
MT5 |
— |
TBC |
— |
TBC |
|
1.5-litre turbo diesel |
4 |
90 (66) |
220 |
MT5 |
85 (3.2) (88.3 mpg) |
97 (3.7) (76.3 mpg) |
92 (3.5) (80.7 mpg) |
N |
New Nissan Micra Grades
The new Micra is available in Nissan’s familiar five-model grade structure of Visia, Visia+, Acenta, N-Connecta and Tekna. Not all grades are available with all engines. Every new Micra comes with a two-tone interior and there are three different versions – one for Visia and Visia+, a second for Acenta and N-Connecta, and a third for Tekna. Leather trim is an option on Tekna.
The new Nissan Micra is manufactured at Flins, France, at a plant operated by Nissan’s Alliance partner Renault. It is the first Nissan passenger car ever to be built at a Renault plant in Europe, and returns Micra production to Europe – close to its key customer base – after a break of seven years.