A heavily facelifted version of the Nissan Micra is expected to be unveiled in the next two weeks, featuring a revamped exterior and interior materials that greatly enhance the car’s perceived quality.
The changes, described by Nissan boss Andy Palmer as “far more than a traditional facelift” address the two most commonly identified complaints about the current Nissan Micra.
“We want it to have more masculine styling – a common complaint has been that it is too cute – and we want to address a perception about its quality,” said Palmer.
“The changes are pretty substantial; our goal has been to give it a more neutral appeal, rather than an overtly feminine one.”
Palmer downplayed speculation that the significant changes were a result of poor sales, highlighting the particular sales success of the version powered by Nissan’s 1.2-litre supercharged engine.
“We have had a lot of success with the car,” said Palmer. “It has sold well in Thailand, India and Israel, as well as off the same platform as the Versa in the United States.”
Production of the next generation Micra will shift to France for left-hand-drive models from 2016, with Nissan taking up spare capacity at a Renault plant as it seeks to continue its expansion.
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The original Micra 'Noddy'
The original Micra 'Noddy' car was an ergonomic delight, with good visibility from the driver's seat, and heaps of room in its 'sorta' cute square-cut body.
Each succeeding iteration has chipped away at those basics, and interest in this family has sagged accordingly.
Mother and daughter ran a Noddy car each but neither cares for newer Micras, graduating to a Fiesta and Pug 106 respectively.
To be fair, the Micra has had
To be fair, the Micra has had 'cutesy' styling for decades now, so it's not exactly an uncommon comment that's been levelled with it.
The latest gen Micra is an interesting creature, because it's a clear sign it hasn't been designed with Europe in mind. Personally, I think Nissan have been very savvy in focusing their efforts with this one in India, Thailand et al because I imagine they're making a bigger profit out of this 'boring' car than Ford, Vauxhall and VW make out of their respective models.
With the Qashqai/Juke cleaning up in Europe, Micra doing well in Asia and sales growing in the USA, whoever is making the decisions at Nissan needs a promotion!
How did this version get signed off in the first place?
The proverbial 'looks that only a mother could love'. Back in the day, I owned a 1996 Micra 1.0 (K11). Whilst without any real character, it was the most economical and reliable car I've ever owned. And I've owned a few. In short, since the K11, Micras have got worse with age not better. That takes skill.