The Nissan Micra has completed its first anniversary in India but sales are nothing to write home about. The Micra is an excellent little car with fantastic built quality. The diesel Micra is one of the best alternatives in the segment but the lack of ABS is a deterrent for many buyers. The company attributes the poor sales to supply constraints (due to high export orders) at its Orgadam facility but the truth is far from it. The awareness about the Nissan Micra in India is very low and now in order to boost the sales of the Micra, Nissan is planning a few initiatives. Nissan currently sells less than 2000 units of the Micra in India. A major chunk (80%) of the 1 lakh sale milestone of the Micra is from exports.

“We will come out with some initiatives in the next few months for improving awareness and brand building. One major challenge for Micra is lack of awareness about the product, which is well-accepted in several markets globally,” Dr Andy Palmer, executive VP, Nissan India, said.

The Nissan Micra might not have set the sales chart on fire in India, but it sure has globally. The Japanese automaker has sold more than 6 million (60 lakh) units of the Micra since its launch way back in 1982. Also known as the March in some markets, the Nissan Micra is sold over 70 countries in the world with production being done in India, China, Mexico and Thailand. A feat worth acknowledging for Nissan, we are still waiting for the sale of the 1 lakhth Micra in India, which is a fantastic car but not promoted as well as the Volkswagen Polo.

“Six million units sold tell us the Micra/March has a track record of success. With over 28 years’ experience producing compact cars, we want our customers to enjoy the maximum value of the new Nissan Micra/March together with its new technologies. With the newly-developed V-platform shared between two new models being produced, reduced vehicle weight and new aerodynamics have contributed to fuel economy performance that is among the best in its class,” Tsuyoshi Kobayashi, Micra/March’s chief vehicle engineer, said.

Nissan-Renault’s production facility in Chennai has just rolled out the 1 lakhth Micra. The company started production of the car in May, 2010 and have expanded to 4000 employees from the initial 1500. The Rs. 4500 crore manufacturing plant is the first dedicated Renault-Nissan vehicle manufacturing plant, which is only manufacturing the 4th generation Micra. The new global sedan (Sunny) will join the Micra later on in this year, with the NV200 following in later next year. Nissan has sold only 15000 units of the Micra in India, with the rest being exported.

The plant will have a overall capacity to manufacture 4 lakh units when production is ramped up. This will help the Japanese automaker to export the car to over 100 countries across Africa, Europe and the Middle East. The plan is to develop the aforementioned facility into one of the most crucial for both the companies.

The Nissan Micra is not the hottest looking hatchback on Indian roads, actually it is far from being the hottest. However the Japanese automaker showcased the Compact Sport Concept at the recent 2011 Shanghai Auto Show and believe you me, it looks the part. But then you can never discount the most boring of cars to turn hot, when you know the person associated with such modifications is none other than Nissan’s tuning arm, NISMO.

The Nissan Sport Concept, as you might have guessed by now is based on the Micra and the beauty here is indeed skin deep. With a 1.6 liter turbocharged motor breathing underneath the hood, this hatchback produces all of 188 bhp and is mated to a CVT gearbox. With three doors and plenty of gadgets on the dashboard, the Nissan Sport Concept is one vehicle which shouldn’t remain a Concept.

Nissan India has hiked the prices of the Micra by up to 2%. The hike will be applicable to both Petrol and Diesel version and will be in the range of Rs. 2,500 (0.5%) to Rs. 11,170 (2%). The prices of the CBU models has not been increased. The company sells the Nissan X-Trail, Nissan Teana and the Nissan 370Z which it imports completely built from Japan.

“There has been a steady increase in the input cost over a period of time. It has come to a situation now that the price hike is inevitable and we have decided to increase the price of Micra,” Mr. Kiminobu Tokuyama, MD and CEO, Nissan India said.

2010 Nissan Micra Diesel - Click above for high resolution picture gallery

Car tested: 2010 Nissan Micra Diesel XV

Price OTR Mumbai: 6,52,439/-

Petrol Micra Review: Read here

Nissan’s serious entry into the mass market was with the Micra, which was the first of its locally manufactured cars in the country. Launched about 6 months ago, the Micra has received more than 8000 bookings and Nissan is pleased with the response it has generated. Everyone is aware that India is a diesel loving country, if possible we Indians wouldn’t mind having diesel for tea or coffee. Diesel prices may be hitting the upside but the demand for diesel cars is steadily on the rise and as promised six months ago, Nissan launched the Micra’s much awaited diesel variant recently. We get our hands on the Nissan Micra diesel and find out if its got the guns to shoot the competition.

The Micra diesel in not very different than its petrol sibling when it comes to the looks. The diesel variant is complemented by the dCI badge on the lower right side of the boot, the rest remains the same. Nissan has introduced the diesel version in 2 variants, namely the Micra Diesel XV and XV Premium. The XV premium get additional 15 inch alloys with 175 spec rubber while the the XV retains the same 165/70/14 MRF ZVTV tyres.

The interiors are again similar to its petrol variant and the XV variant we drove was devoid of climate control. No height adjuster for the drivers seat even in the top XV Premium variant. Nisssan has followed a “twin bubble theme” with the interiors as they like to call it. Lots of space for the front and rear passengers with good thigh support for the rear seats.

Boot space measures 251 ltr but the rear seats don’t fold 60:40 if you want to tow some extra luggage. Interior quality, fit and finish is top notch with no inconsistent panel gaps. Owing to the large windows and thin pillars, the cabin feels airy and gives a feeling of it being larger than it actually is. Push button start, i key and immobiliser are standard on both variants, as already described in detail with the Micra Petrol.

The engine which powers the Micra diesel is a product of the Renault – Nissan alliance and is doing its job on the Logan since a while. This 1.5 ltr, 8 valve, SOHC, 4 cylinder diesel motor produces 64 PS @ 4000 RPM and 160 NM of Torque @ 2000 RPM. The figures may not look impressive on paper but considering that the Micra is lighter than the Logan, the power to weight ratio is more favorable towards better performance. The K9K engine is a best seller from Renault and is known for its superior mileage. Its the second time a 1.5 liter engine is powering a diesel hatchback in India. ARAI figures indicate a class topping mileage of 23.08 kmpl.

Dump the clutch and push the start button, the Renault K9K engine starts with minimal sound and settles into an idle. For a diesel engine, the K9K is relatively quiet to the extent that one will hardly notice whether its a diesel or a petrol motor. Slot into first and the Micra drives very much like a petrol car, power deliver is linear without any turbo lag and this gives it petrol like driving characteristics, floor the pedal to the metal and Micra gallops forward without much strain. The light steering makes it quite easy to negotiate traffic and the 160 NM of torque makes sure the Micra is an established highway cruiser as well.

On a timed run, the Micra hits 100 in just less than 16 seconds and the engine becomes more audible post 3500 RPM. The car revs all the way to 5500 RPM after which the ECU cuts its off subtly. Gearshift is slick and the gear ratios have been tweaked to suit the diesel engine. The Micra hits 130 kmph with ease and then struggles to its top speed of about 160 kmph. We hit a top speed of 150 kmph and the Micra seemed decently planted on the road at such speeds, though steering feedback almost disappears at high speeds.

Over our test, in extremely harsh, rev limit driving conditions the Micra delivered an average of 15.5 kmpl and we expect it to comfortably return 18 – 21 kmpl (mix of city and highway driving). A big incentive to the mileage conscious.

The Micra’s ride is decent and handling is fair but is adversely affected by the minuscule 165/70/14 tyres. The car tends to lock up under heavy braking and to makes things worse, ABS is not even offered as an option on the XV Premium model (XV Premuim comes with 175 spec tyres).

Upgrading to wider rubber should do the trick however. Nissan’s commitment to safety has been highlighted by the fact that every variant of the Micra comes equipped with drivers side airbag, but Nissan does not offer both sides airbags, even on the top model. When we asked the Nissan officials about this, we were told that in a price sensitive market, it was important to provide a bit of everything, ABS and both airbags would push the price to a higher level affecting sales, seemingly justifiable.

The Micra diesel is an all around hatch and though we miss ABS and both side airbags, the overall looks and interiors of the car oodle with quality and the diesel motor delivers outstanding mileage and is great on performance too. The only hitch could be the pricing of the car as there are many options available in the market for that kind of money and Nissan dealerships are sparse at the moment but if you are looking for a good quality diesel car, the Micra diesel has to be on your list.

Whats Cool

* Push Button Start & ikey
* Mileage
* Performance
* Low turning radius
* Retro looks
* Nippy handling and light steering

Whats Not So Cool

* Lack of a strong dealer network
* Puny tires
* No ABS
* Unknown service costs
* Only drivers side airbag

Nissan Micra Specifications : -

* Engine: 1461cc, K9K, SOHC, 8-valve
* Power: 64PS @ 4000 rpm
* Torque: 160Nm @ 2000 rpm
* Transmission: 5 speed manual
* Top Speed: 160kmph
* 0-100kmph: 15.86 seconds
* Fuel Consumption: 17 – 18 kmpl (City), 20-21 kmpl (highway)
* Fuel Type: Diesel
* Suspension: Mcpherson Struts (front) & Torsion Beam (rear)
* Tires: 165/70/14 Tubeless Radials
* Brakes: Ventilated Disc (Front), Drums (Rear)
* Safety: Driver Airbag, Engine Immobilizer

Nissan Micra Dimensions : -

* Overall length x width x height: 3780mm X 1665mm X 1530mm
* Wheelbase: 2450mm
* Front/Rear Track: 1470/1475 mm
* Ground clearance: 154mm
* Turning Radius: 4.65m
* Boot Volume: 251 liters
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 41 liters
* Kerb Weight: 992 kgs (XV variant)

Official Website

The Nissan Micra is being exported from the company’s plant in Chennai to European markets but now the company is facing minor issues with the vehicles. The Micra is Europe is making noises due to the cold weather in the country. Thus Nissan is changing the oil specification to all the cars which will be exported to Europe to curb this issue. However there won’t be any recall and the company claims the issue has been identified before the very first delivery itself. Nissan India started exports of the Micra in October this year from Oragadam in Chennai.

“Nissan has identified a mild noise occurring in the engine bay of the vehicle during start-up in extreme cold weather and decided to change the oil specification of European spec cars in accordance with the specificities of the European climate. This issue does not affect the performance and operation of the engine. Once the oil is changed, cars are being distributed normally across Europe,” Nissan India company spokesperson told Financial Chronicle.

Source – Zawya

Nissan India has launched diesel-powered Micra in two variants of XV and XV (premium). Available with greige interiors, it will be introduced in a range of six colours, Sunlight Orange, Brick Red, Pacific Blue, Storm White, Blade Silver and Onyx Black. The Micra Diesel is priced at Rs. 5,85,617/- for XV and Rs. 6,33,849/- (ex-showroom, Mumbai) for XV Premium respectively. The Micra Diesel is powered by a 1.5L Common Rail Direct Injection K9K Diesel Engine, which is mounted for the very first time in India on Nissan’s ‘V’ platform. The 8-valves, 4-cylinder Diesel-powered Micra generates Power rated at 64PS @ 4000 rpm, while torque output is 160Nm @ 2000 rpm. The Nissan Micra Diesel comes with a 5-speed manual gearbox.

The Diesel-powered Nissan Micra is equipped with some key technological innovations, which are designed to simplify day-to-day life for its owners. The Micra Diesel offers first-in-its-class Intelligent Key plus Immobilizer, a push-button engine start-stop system and electric foldable mirror. Another unique feature is the intelligent multi-display meter, which supplies drivers with real time fuel economy information and cruising range. In addition, the driver power window is fitted with ‘one touch up/down’ feature along with a pinch guard.

The efforts of Nissan’s Global Production Engineering Centre also make it the lightest (XV – 992kgs, XV Premium – 1008kgs) yet sturdy hatchback in its segment. This has been achieved in numerous ways by reducing number of components and using newer manufacturing and material processing techniques. The XV premium variant of Diesel-powered Micra also comes with an added attraction of 15-inch alloy wheels and Body colored roof spoiler. The Diesel-powered Nissan Micra with a top speed of 158kmph is also equipped with a class competitive boot space of 251 litres that can easily carry those extra bags of shopping during travel. The Diesel-powered Micra comes with fitted with a standard safety equipment of Driver Airbag across both its variants.

Few points from the press conference : –

• Nissan to bring out 9 new models by 2012, few from its global portfolio.
• ‘V’ platform (the same on which the Micra is based) sedan to be launched in 2011.
• Nissan in collaboration with Ashok Leyland will bring out an MPV by 2012 to take on the Toyota Innova.
• When asked by the Motorbeam team, as to why there is no option of ABS and dual front airbags, we were told that since India is a cost sensitive market, it was decided to balance out the features in order to cut costs, hence the Micra has only drivers side airbag, a compromise in order to give maximum value to the consumer.
• Fuel Economy of 23.08 kmpl (tested and approved by ARAI).

Nissan India will launch the Micra Diesel day after tomorrow and we have got some pictures for you. The car resembles its petrol siblings and one cannot make out its oilburner heart till they see the dCI badge at its derriere. The Micra Diesel gets 15″ alloy wheels on the top variant and the tachometer is redlined to 4500Rpm.