Engine & Drivability
The Indian version is tuned for optimum fuel efficiency, lesser emissions and being a reliable city car than a being a hot hatch that will send your eyeballs to the back of your head. The results are clear – an ARAI backed figure of 18 kmpl! We expect it to drop by 2-3 kmpl when the average Joe (or even ‘Joan’ in this case) is driving it in congested urban environs. Should you decide to go pedal to the metal, the figure may come down to 11-12 kmpl and at the same time, give you a 0-100 km/h sprint in 16-odd seconds.
The lengthened wheelbase of the Micra has given the car good stability when driving at high speeds. It could have also imparted better dynamics around corners, but then the suspension plays spoil sport. In a bid to provide better comfort on Indian roads, the Micra’s suspension runs on a soft setup. This tends to give a squishy feedback when driving the car hard around corners. The MRF ZVTV rubber does save the day to and extent, but our enthusiastic nature would have liked the handling to be better, stiffer. But on the other hand this compact suspension specifically built for the V-platform is a potent bugger and seems to understand the Indian road conditions very well. Even on potholed roads, there is no hint of thudding.
Roll-on figures for the Micra:
4th gear
40-60 9.09
60-80 8.77
40-80 17.86
3rd gear
40-60 6.06
60-80 5.89
40- 80 11.95