Nissan Micra Easy on the pocket Not so easy on the eye.

Nissan Micra has enjoyed a fair share of supermini sales for nearly thirty years and the key factor is reliability. The new Micra, sold globally now, is spacious and more efficient to compete with its direct rivals VW Polo and Ford Fiesta. However, the new shape and build quality have taken a step back. The fourth generation of Nissan does not have the look of the car it replaced. It has a conservative design, with strange details and ungainly proportions. Pricey Acenta models come with body-colored, 15-inch alloy handles and mirrors, giving the Micra a facelift. The top of the Tekna range has a panoramic roof, as well as all of these features. Another kit at Techna includes sat nav, climate control, and rear parking sensors.

The interior is filled with cheap plastics and some of the edges of the glove box lid and internal door handles sometimes have sharper edges left over from the molding process. The other materials used for the dashboard, instruments, and switch gear feel cheap, too. Micra is an ideal car for city driving thanks to its compact design, excellent visibility and simple controls. However, use the highway and the deficiencies will become apparent. The steering is unresponsive, the suspension is firm, and the gear stick is imprecise. That said, the 1.0-liter three-cylinder gasoline is offset by a sharp nature and a characterful engine note.

Nissan has received a four-star Euro NCAP rating, which lags behind many of its rivals in safety. Micra is equipped as standard with four airbags, electronic stability control and Isofix anchor points for child seats. The Micra is famous for being a reliable car, Nissan ranked 11th in Driver Power’s 2011 customer satisfaction survey. Nissan’s cabin has a surprising amount of space. The rear seats can easily accommodate two adults of any size. The double-deck glove box offers plenty of storage space. The trunk space is 265 liters, more than rivaling Mazda 2 or Hyundai i20.

As a key feature of a supermini, Micra is not an expensive car to drive. The 1.0-liter Micra engine returns 56.5 mpg with 115 g / km of carbon emissions, keeping road taxes low. It is included in five insurance groups, which means reasonable insurance costs. Micra owners also enjoy a good market value, even after three years of driving, most models hold 40% of the value. Nissan may have satiated the interior and uninspiring design, but it still offers good value for money in terms of standard equipment, fuel efficiency, and spacious interior.