[SunilM]

The car looks very good in black, way better then their green/orange display models pictured everywhere.

Maybe its the black color, but the rear looks fine to me and definitely less feminine! Size wise it is very close to swift as seen from silversteed's pics. Now we know for sure, it will be targeting the swift, i20, polo segment. IMO it will be a nice option to have in this segment and knowing Nissan, it will not compromise on interior quality, fit and finish.

Did I see beige interiors in Ramachandran's last picture?? Can you clarify, Ram?

[sunil8089]

Nice pics,

It seems the car is almost the size of a swift.

[agm]

Well well , dint like anything about this car except for the fact it is from the nissan stable .

That silver interior with orange/red back lit is looking downright cheap ,overall exterior to is weird .

Ooh no nissan not that 3 pot engine for pete's sake

[atrisarkar]

Today I saw a Micra ad in CCD
Based on the target consumers and given the overly congested premium hatch segment nowadays, this is an excellent move by Nissan. Somehow I was really impressed by this marketing strategy of tying up with CCD instead of the usual teasers which have become quite commonplace now.

[MARCUS_520i]

It looks like a fun-n-peppy car to roll in, mainly targetted towards the young crowds; hence the advertisement at CCD, IMO.

[ranc]

I dont know is it just me or everyone feels that way, the front of the car looks a bit retro, more like the beetle than the swift.

[snan]

Originally Posted by ranc

I dont know is it just me or everyone feels that way, the front of the car looks a bit retro, more like the beetle than the swift.

yes - I think so too. Quite ugly looking from almost all angles - not cute like a beetle. Hopefully they price it extremely competitive to see some sales. Question is how are they going to position it ? If youth, then it definitely has able competitors in Beat and even Figo & Punto. Dont think it will be VFM against Hyundais and Marutis ; especially with the dealer network they have. Would be interesting to wait and see how the compact story unfolds over the next couple of years. Winner could well be Indian customers !

[Thad E Ginathom]

I was just thinking --- I like the front, but not so sure about the back!

Which maybe proves your point, as I guess I'm a bit retro

[Daewood]

Originally Posted by ranc

I dont know is it just me or everyone feels that way, the front of the car looks a bit retro, more like the beetle than the swift.

Yes. Retro looks.

Looks like a modern version of AMBY
Maybe adding a boot will make it a best-seller in entry level sedan segment.

[vivekgk]

I don't like the design much. Maybe it'll look better in metal, but something about those retro doors and the C pillar aren't blending well. Also, the front looks like a codfish's mouth.

I really, really hope that the pictures are not doing justice to the car.

[anku94]

Funny design. Something like Fusion + Beetle...

[Zero Cool]

This car along with polo and jazz brings the much needed quality needed in the hatchback segment. reasonable pricing will surely make it a success

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by vivekgk

I don't like the design much. Maybe it'll look better in metal, but something about those retro doors and the C pillar aren't blending well. Also, the front looks like a codfish's mouth.

I really, really hope that the pictures are not doing justice to the car.

Well, for the things you have listed out, there is nothing that the car in metal can do much about . It is an ugly car, and has been criticized by almost every automobile journalist (The famous trio of Clarkson, Hammond and May have cracked many a joke), yet it continues to be a good seller.

I am sure that the car will have some positives, but I am positive that it's going to be one of the ugliest small cars in India.

Originally Posted by Zero Cool

This car along with polo and jazz brings the much needed quality needed in the hatchback segment. reasonable pricing will surely make it a success

What exactly is the basis of that statement (I am talking about the "much needed quality")? If my interpretation of your statement is correct, its completely based on "interior plastics". Even then, it is half-baked, because the i20 and Fabia's interiors are fabulous. The less said about the quality of ride and handling (Punto, Figo), the quality of the engine (Figo, Punto, Swift, Ritz and so on), the quality of after sales (Hyundai, Maruti etc.), the quality of....................

All this even before the car hits the road. Quite an incredible claim I must say.

[Zero Cool]

Originally Posted by Amartya

What exactly is the basis of that statement (I am talking about the "much needed quality")? If my interpretation of your statement is correct, its completely based on "interior plastics". Even then, it is half-baked, because the i20 and Fabia's interiors are fabulous. The less said about the quality of ride and handling (Punto, Figo), the quality of the engine (Figo, Punto, Swift, Ritz and so on), the quality of after sales (Hyundai, Maruti etc.), the quality of....................

All this even before the car hits the road. Quite an incredible claim I must say.

This car should be placed in the premium hatchback segment. The build quality of the cars like polo and jazz are evidently better than cars like Swift (which rattles,otherwise the best hatch) and Punto(poor interior quality) Fabia(great car but *** is more like that from PAL) Figo & Beat(great cars but are clearly priced a segment lower).

Nissan are a quality manufacturer with some really incredible cars out there. Internationally their quality is on par with Honda and unless they go the Jazz way as far as pricing goes Micra is sure to be well received. I know their *** as of now is nothing to write home about but so was the case with Linea and Punto. Just as Fiat knew that these were gonna be large volume cars and cleaned up their act im sure Nissan would also set up a reasonable service network before launching Micra. In this day and age no car manufacturer can do a Palio.

IMO we need more cars belonging to this premium hatchback segment than entry level mid size sedans as the roads are chocked and parking space is at a premium. Premium cars like Polo(the expectant 1.6), Jazz, i20(the 1.4's) offer us a mid size sedan like driving comfort with the convienence of a hatchback.
Though good cars with their own plus points cars like swift,ritz,figo etc dont belong to this segment. Punto is the only one which has scope for improvement but as of now its interiors are a big letdown.

I hope you get my point, Though i do agree that claiming it will fulfill all that is expected from it so early is a mistake on my part. Micra (NOT WILL but) should bring the much needed quality in hatchbacks and hence should be a vital addition to the premium hatchback segment.

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by Zero Cool

IMO we need more cars belonging to this premium hatchback segment than entry level mid size sedans as the roads are chocked and parking space is at a premium.

Though good cars with their own plus points cars like swift,ritz,figo etc dont belong to this segment. Punto is the only one which has scope for improvement but as of now its interiors are a big letdown.

I hope you get my point, Though i do agree that claiming it will fulfill all that is expected from it so early is a mistake on my part. Micra (NOT WILL but) should bring the much needed quality in hatchbacks and hence should be a vital addition to the premium hatchback segment.

Don't take it personally, just thought I'd discuss a few points.

• True, our roads are getting choked up, parking space is at a premium, but the solution doesn't lie in launching more expensive cars. It lies in making roads, making laws and implementing them.
• Punto is NOT the only one with a scope of improvement. In fact, if it needs improvement, some people (including me) would like to see the Linea spec motor in it first. The cars you have mentioned (i20, Jazz and Polo) all have shortcomings too. They range from insipid handling, to sky-high price and just barely enough power, to 3-cylinder engines with less rear seat space, I would say, just as major, if not more.

That the Micra will be an important addition to the small-car market, is something I completely agree with, but not for the reasons you cited.