Easy to manoeuvre, the little Micra is definitely one for the ladies. Photo Gallery
The Nissan Micra is a car with a lot of character.
With its bubble shape, flared nostril-like headlights and animated looks, it says as much about its chosen owner as it does of its own cute and fun persona.
If cars had genders, there'd be no difficulty in guessing where the Micra sits, especially when taking the colour options into consideration, the model that joins the Grease cast with its Pink Ladies coat in particular.
It's a car that can be summed up in a very girly word, “cute.” So it's no surprise that Nissan is marketing this car mainly towards, that's right, younger females. And it's therefore no surprise that I, the female in the office, was handed the keys for the week.
Whereas a lot of cars are simply a means of transport, it's refreshing to find one with more of a personal and emotional connection to its driver.
At $14,990 the Micra is about the cheapest automatic model on the market; but it only comes in four-speed transmission guise.
When it comes to choices, the hardest decision you have to make is what colour you want: should it be Tokyo Silver or London Rose or one of the other urban city-themed names?
The transmission is already chosen for you, as is the only available engine, a 1.4-litre four-cylinder.
Under harder acceleration and up hills, the transmission takes its time in choosing gears. However, for a light car under $15,000, your performance expectations tend to be met.
Smooth and consistent driving around town is when you get the most from the Micra. A manual option could have provided a more responsive and energetic drive, but is not available.
It lacks some enthusiasm in the power department, delivering 72kW at 5600rpm and can be sluggish, producing 137Nm of torque from 3200rpm. But you have to remember, it is only a baby car.
The steering is very light, sometimes it feels a little too light and the brakes can feel slightly soft at first, needing some harder pressure.
It's a car that is very easy to park. Thanks to the flared headlights you can see from the driver's seat and the turning circle is also quite good. The ride is comfortable and not too harsh, although it can get a little noisy.
It doesn't feel that confident to throw into corners, but then again the Micra isn't likely to be used for hard and fast driving. It's at home in city driving and stop-start traffic.
Driving around town on our test, there was a rattling sound coming from within the driver's door, which reminded you it was at the more affordable end of the segments.
But for a small car, it does present good value. Its cartoon-like looks make it stand out in traffic. Other motorists seemed to be interested in what the bubbly car could be.
There's enough room inside for four adults, but you wouldn't really want to try squeezing in a fifth. In any case, it disappointingly lacks a proper seatbelt in the centre rear seat.
It has a high roof, accommodating taller drivers, and with some arm space between the door and the side of the seat, it feels more spacious than other cars in the segment.
Visibility is also good with big windows all round and an open feeling.
For those in the front, there's a pull-down armrest on each seat and a pull out tray underneath the seat to store mobile phones and wallets.
And there's an MP3 connection in the glovebox, although this location is inconvenient for the driver. There's no tacho or temperature gauge and the Micra also misses out on Electronic Stability Program. In a car aimed at young drivers, this is something that should at least be an option.
If the budget allows, there is one other choice to be made, that is taking up the City Collection package.
For an extra $1700, this adds dual side airbags and curtain airbags, 15-inch alloy wheels and an MP3 compatible six-stack CD player.
The dash layout in the Micra is uncomplicated and has a plastic feel to it, but with cream coloured dials, it certainly looks funky.
Our press car was the dull-looking silver colour, not quite the right choice for such a personality driven vehicle.
If you're choosing the novelty Micra, you would have to go the whole way and match a pastel colour like pink or blue to your quirky decision.
The bottom line
Cute, baby, girly car that represents good value for money.
Snapshot
Nissan Micra
Price: $14,990
Engine: 1.4L/4-cylinder, 72kW/137Nm
Transmission: 4-speed auto
Economy: 6.8L/100km
The rivals
Hyundai Getz
Price: $15,990
Engine: 1.4L/4-cylinder, 70kW/126Nm
Ttransmission: 4-speed auto
Eeconomy: 7.0L/100km
Mazda2
Price: $18,150
Engine: 1.5L/4-cylinder, 76kW/137Nm
Ttransmission: 4-speed auto
Eeconomy: 6.8L/100km
Suzuki Swift
Price: $17,990
Engine: 1.5L/4-cylinder, 74kW/133Nm
Transmission: 4-speed auto
Economy: 6.7L/100km
