Nissan Micra. Pokemonology
It must be admitted that this model has no shortage of fans — sales are going well. True, to be honest, the main army of admirers is women, and appearance plays far from the last role here. But for all its cuteness, the Micra is not devoid of practicality: the huge headlights are not just "eyes" but full-fledged parking assistants. Above them are small protrusions with marker lights that are clearly visible right from the driver's seat. They are always on and greatly ease maneuvering in tight spaces.
And this is far from the only surprise. Remember how you usually approach a car? In ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, you start rummaging through pockets or a bag looking for keys. In the Micra, this problem is solved technologically: the chip key can simply be carried with you — the car recognizes you on its own and opens the doors and trunk. You can also get into the cabin with this key fob without taking it out — the system itself determines that the key is inside, and then the engine starts with a simple turn of the ignition switch.
But before starting the engine, it's worth looking around — the interior here resembles a lady's handbag rather than a car cabin. There are cupholders, boxes, and niches for every occasion. Under the passenger seat is a hidden drawer where you can easily store spare shoes or a bag so no one sees them. And on the front panel there's even a hook that, judging by everything, is designed for a cosmetics bag or a shopping bag.
And all this looks surprisingly harmonious. The buttons on the center console, styled like bone, look like antiques, but in combination with high-tech they look refined and unobtrusive. And the round climate control display, resembling a children's wristwatch? Special mention deserves the "fabric upholstery" on the front panel — it imitates fabric so realistically that you want to stroke it right away. And only when you realize it's plastic, you can only applaud the designers.
But the Micra is strong not only in design. With its dimensions, neither congested city highways nor the eternal shortage of parking spaces are scary. The turning radius is only 4.5 meters, and this makes life in a metropolis noticeably easier, regardless of who is behind the wheel.
Usually, the main drawback of compact cars is crampedness. But Japanese engineers managed to bypass this stereotype: the tall body of the Micra with a modest length provides quite decent space inside. The rear seat can be slid forward and backward, increasing either the trunk or legroom for passengers. The front seats are comfortable even for tall drivers — which, by the way, is important, because the driving qualities of this little one also attract a male audience.
And the character of this "Pokemon" is not toy-like at all. For our country, two engines are offered: a base 1.2-liter with 80 horsepower and a more powerful 1.4-liter 16-valve producing 88 horses. For the highway, they are, of course, a bit weak, but in the city — just what you need, especially paired with the proprietary "automatic." The combination turns out to be lively: you can start from a standstill with wheelspin and confident accelerations. The suspension is a bit stiff, but with the electric power steering with variable performance, the Micra obeys the driver perfectly — for a car without advanced stability systems, this is important. The only thing that really spoils the impression is noise insulation: at high revs the engine hums, at speed road noise and wind whistle are added. However, for the budget class, this is more the norm than the exception.
Speaking of safety: already in the base, the Micra gets ABS with brake force distribution and an electronic "brake assist," as well as front airbags. Side airbags and curtains are an option, and in the top version Active Luxury, a stability control system also appears. As a result, the little one turns out to be one of the most protected in its class.
The price of the base version is $14,700. For this money, you get the full set of safety systems, front power windows, power-adjustable and heated mirrors, heated seats, air conditioning, central locking, and an immobilizer. A total of five fixed trim levels are available, and even the maximum does not seem exorbitant: $20,590 — by current standards for compact competitors, this is not the limit.
Technical specifications:
Nissan Micra Dimensions (mm) 3715x1660x1540
Wheelbase (mm) 2430
Weight (kg) 970
Trunk volume (l) 251/371
Engine displacement (cm3) 1240
Max power (hp) 80
Max torque (Nm) 110
Max speed (km/h) 145
Acceleration 0-100 km/h (s) 17.9
Average fuel consumption (l) 5.8
Price ($): 14,700-20,590
Source – www.automania.ru