(7.5 out of 10)
REVIEW DATE: 05 Aug 2008
To celebrate 25 years of Micra sales in Europe, Nissan has put together an anniversary model called the Micra 25. Matt Low reports.
Constant refreshing has kept the Micra at the forefront of the supermini sector for a quarter of a century. The special edition Micra 25 model was created to mark the anniversary and comes with a bundle of added extras to reinforce its reputation as a small car with big car equipment and innovation.
When you design a futuristic supermini, as Nissan did with their third generation Micra, you shouldn't have to tamper with it too much. Nor have they - though some well judged enhancements in the special edition Micra 25 have served to improve the car's showroom appeal even further. So it is that the latest version has a number of improvements aimed at grabbing a bigger slice of the supermini pie. Mind you, they're so subtle that it's doubtful whether they'll attract too many new buyers to the brand who weren't already sold on the Micra's cheeky good looks.
The Micra 25 comes with a choice of four engines. In petrol form you can opt for an entry-level 1.2-litre unit but a better bet for most consumers will probably be the 1.4-litre powerplant. This engine produces 87bhp and hits a top speed of 107mph. It can do the 0-62mph sprint in 11.9 seconds and its maximum torque of 128Nm is reached at 3,200rpm. The third petrol option is the 1.6-litre engine which develops 109bhp and produces a maximum torque of 153Nm at 4,200rpm. This unit reaches a top speed of 114mph and can reach 62mph from standstill in 9.8 seconds. In diesel form you can get the Micra 25 with a 1.5-litre, eight-valve unit that produces 86bhp and hits a top speed of 106mph.
All the petrol options are 16-valve four-cylinder all-alloy units and all the options including diesel come with a standard five-speed manual transmission. The 1.2 and 1.4-litre engines also have the option of a four-speed automatic gearbox. All models drive well, with body control being near the top of the class. Couple that with accurate steering and wheel-at-each-corner chuckability and you have a car that's more fun than many realise.
"The Micra 25 has a bundle of added extras to reinforce its reputation as a small car with big car equipment and innovation"
Today's Micra, with all its curves, arcs and bulges, turned a definite corner. For a start, it was the first supermini for quite some time which didn't set out to be the most spacious car in its class, instead preferring to concentrate on distinctive styling. The tactic may well pay off for Nissan. After all, many of us would prefer to drive something that looks a little sassy like the Micra 25, instead of a boring econobox. Do you really need enough rear headroom to seat a seven-foot ogre when the occupants of the back pew are usually the kids or a few shopping bags? No. With the 1.6-litre Micra 25 there is the option of the C+C which features the 'C-VIEW' glass roof. The 'C-VIEW' has been designed to create an airy, open top feel whether or not the roof is raised. The hardtop itself can be raised or lowered without having to wrestle with any latches, clips or handles. What's more, it can even be done while on the move and takes 22 seconds to complete its action.
Prices range between £9,395 and £16,600, that's a few hundred pounds less than the comparable Accenta mid-range trim level models from the standard range that aren't as well equipped as this '25' variant. Buyers going for this special edition can look forward to receiving a big bundle of extra equipment that would usually cost more as optional extras. Expect to find a unique Micra-engraved 4Gb iPod nano loaded with Nissan-specific content including ten songs, a series of Micra photography and a Micra TV advert. Steering wheel controls govern volume and track selection and the iPod connector charges the iPod whilst in transit. The driver and front passenger floor mats feature silver borders and are embroidered with the 25th anniversary Micra logo and Nissan have created a new colour exclusively for the Micra 25 - a deep purple known as Nightshade. Rear privacy glass is fitted as standard in the Micra 25 and a '25' logo badge identifying the special edition is positioned on the rear door. Silver effect door mirrors, handles and body mouldings complete the effect, alongside wheel trims different to those found on other Micra models.
No Micra 25 is going to prove costly to run. But if you really want to shave your day to day running costs to the bone, think diesel. For those of you who keep tabs on the global car industry or are just particularly adept with TLAs (three letter abbreviations!) the initials dCi will rightly be associated with Renault diesel engines. Since Renault took a controlling interest in Nissan, the Japanese company have had access to some of the best small diesels on the market and the Micra uses a similar unit that's plumbed into the front of many Clios. Averaging 60mpg should be possible and Nissan claim a 65mpg average on longer trips.
The 86bhp 1.5-litre dCi Micra offers conspicuously good value for money and is well able to cash in on a growing market share untapped by its predecessor. It seems hard to believe, but Nissan really did put the old Micra out to face the opposition without the option of a diesel engine, effectively making it fight with one arm behind its back. These days the Micra range is far wider but all are between 125 and 158g/km of carbon dioxide.
If you're looking for a supermini with an impressive list of features, then the Micra 25 could well be for you. As with many other special edition cars, the Micra 25 comes with an incredible amount of extras for the price you are paying and represents good value for money. The iPod nano should ensure that this car is popular amongst young urban trendies and coupled with the optional C+C, the Micra 25 will go along way to dispelling the Micra's image as a car for the fiftysomethings. As long as you don't place interior space at the top of your supermini priority list, the Micra 25 deserves serious consideration.
The results below show the top MICRA deals on buyacar
| For MICRA 25 | ||
| OVERALL | 7.5 OUT OF 10 | |
| Performance |  |
7 |
| Comfort |  |
6 |
| Handling | |
7 |
| Economy |  |
9 |
| Space / Versatility | |
6 |
| Styling |  |
8 |
| Equipment | |
7 |
| Build | |
8 |
| Depreciation | |
8 |
| Insurance | |
8 |
| Value | |
9 |
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