Nissan has refreshed the Micra again and we now have the 2018 car. Since it is a model-year update, the body-shell and even the looks remain exactly the same. The changes are largely inside the car and the ones that enhance the safety of this hatchback. The Micra has always been a no-fuss car ad with the dual-airbags, parking sensors and camera, speed-sensing door locks and speed warning device, it is one of the safest cars in its segment.
The added touch-screen display brings it at par with the competition in terms of the feature list as it already gets a push-button start, power windows, auto-folding mirrors, keyless entry and all the bells and whistles. At the price tag of Rs 5.03 lakh for the entry-level trim, the Micra goes against the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Hyundai Grand i10 along with the Ford Figo and the Honda Brio.
While the Swift and the Grand i10 are new products, the Micra is almost a generation behind like the Honda Brio. But it is quite a spacious car and offers a little more space than all of the competition cars. The 1.2-litre petrol engine and the 1.5-litre turbo-diesel are tried and tested and offer a good mix of power and economy, at par with the competition.
While the Micra is an excellent product that should ideally be one of the top runners in the segment, Nissan’s brand presence and after-sales service have limited its opportunities. Also, the new-gen Micra which is sold globally will turn out to be too expensive for the Indian market which is why the Indian arm has to make do with the existing car.
As for options from other segments, the higher trims of the Micra will be comparable with the sub-four-metre compact sedans, like the Honda Amaze, the Hyundai Xcent and the Maruti Dzire. The top-spec petrol automatic will get you just shy of affording a full-size sedan but you can get your hands on the premium hatchbacks like the Honda Jazz, the Hyundai Elite i10 and the Volkswagen Polo.
