Introduction The Nissan Micra was once upon a time one of the most commonly sought after superminis in the UK market. In fact it retained a strong level of popularity in the UK market for decades, appealing particularly to its target female audience. Things have changed now however. The Nissan Micra has been left largely overshadowed not only by other cars in the supermini category but also by more successful models from Nissan themselves. The likes of the Qashqai and the Juke have been gathering most of the affections and sales for Nissan in recent years. Also, the upcoming new Note is plotting to impose itself within the supermini-filled B segment. With all this going it was beginning to feel like the Micra was becoming a forgotten car. But not anymore it seems, as Nissan have decided to freshen up the current generation Micra to a large extent. In fact Nissan has said that over 50 per cent of the body parts which make up the Micra have been replaced. This updated Nissan Micra is available to order in the UK now, with first deliveries arriving at the start of September 2013. Prices for the updated Micra range between £9,950 and £12,950 amongst the three trim levels available. The most obvious changes to the 2013 Nissan Micra include the new front face and the updated interior design complete with new centre console. The car is now considerably more appealing to look at both from the outside and inside. Several other minor tweaks have been made to improve this car all round. But is it all enough to put the Micra on par with its more successful rivals? Read on to find out more. Performance 2.0/5 The engine selection for the updated 2013 Nissan Micra is unchanged from what was offered prior the update. This means that the five-door supermini offers the choice of two petrol engines with all three trim levels available. There's a basic 1.2-litre unit with 79bhp and a 1.2-litre DIG-S supercharged version with 97bhp. Both engines are linked with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard, with an optional CVT automatic gearbox available for both units as well. As was the case before this year's updates, the Micra is not a car for anyone who wants to drive anywhere at a speedy rate. Even in its most competitive guise, with the more potent DIG-S petrol unit and the manual transmission, the Micra still takes 11.3 seconds to cover the 0-62mph sprint and the top speed is 112mph. In urban environments, like a congested town road, the pace of the Micra is adequate but if you want to push it anywhere close to its top speed then patience will usually be required as the engine builds up speed. Ride & Handling 3.0/5 No number of minor tweaks from Nissan can realistically ever stop the Nissan Micra from feeling sluggish, and this indeed sadly remains the case. Nissan identifies the updated Micra as being in the B- (B minus) segment, behind the key supermini models which the new Nissan Note is deliberately targeting. This is probably a wise move, as the Micra still can't compete with the class-leading Ford Fiesta when it comes to driving enthusiastically. On a more positive note, however, the facelifted version has a noticeably improved ride, particularly at lower speed. The car feels smoother when negotiating undulations in the road and there's slightly less body roll than before. The steering is very light making it easy to manoeuvre when in crowded town centres. Practicality 3.5/5 The Nissan Micra was already pretty comfy to sit in prior its updates and this remains the case for the 2013 model. The interior layout is very similar to this facelift, but the interior panels are made in a darker tone and the materials are of better quality. Space in the rear is sufficient for adults of average size and height while the middle rear seat is only recommended for small children. The dimensions of the car are unchanged so the Micra still offers 265 litres of loading space with the seats in place. A split-folding rear bench is standard on the mid-range Acenta trim and range-topping Tekna Micras, but the basic Visia model misses out on this feature. Running Costs 3.5/5 The Micra's small petrol engines aren't expensive to run, the supercharged DIG-S unit emits under 100g/km of CO2 when linked with the manual transmission and returns 68.9mpg on average. Even the less efficient 1.2-litre petrol engine produces no more than 125g/km when mated to the automatic gearbox. Nissan has made some equipment upgrades to the Micra range but only for the mid and top-range trims. The standard Visia trim remains overall basic, including front electric windows, a radio/CD player and Bluetooth connection. Step up to the Acenta trim, priced from £11,550, and you'll get climate and cruise control, height adjustment for the driver's seat and 15-inch alloy wheels. If you're willing to pay £12,950 for the Tekna trim Micra, you'll acquire an onboard sat-nav system plus larger 16-inch alloy wheels and keyless entry with an engine start/stop button. Provided you're willing to skimp on many popular luxuries then the Micra is very cheap to buy and run. Motortorque Verdict 3.0/5 The raft of new updates from Nissan has undoubtedly improved the Micra's drive and appeal. Despite this, though, the Micra is still some way behind the class leading Ford Fiesta when it comes to the quality of the interior and driving pleasure. If you're looking for a new small car, however, and your only priorities are that it should be cheap, small, look modern and it's easy to drive, then the Micra is worth marking down for consideration. Written by Stephen Goldasz
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