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Old 1st July 2010, 17:58   #121
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As always a great review by GTO.

I am not impressed by the car though. Somehow I feel, the brand card that Micra would like to play has any weight at all, Probably amongst the NRIs, who at best would be an opinion makers and not the buyers, but not with regular customers.

Quote:
Originally Posted by vid6639 View Post
The Chevy spark and Beat don't have the rubber beading as well and I noticed this on another car as well but forgot which one.
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Originally Posted by GTO View Post
Thanks for pointing that out.

Not sure if it true for Beat and Spark. See the Pics here for the trunk.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ve-review.html

Last edited by anu21v : 1st July 2010 at 18:00.
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Old 1st July 2010, 18:07   #122
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Totally agree that this will be a hit with the ladies.
Showed this car to my wife, and "swoop" she fell for it flat
She said she wants this for her birthday!
( Sorry sweetheart, can't afford with EMI and downpayment of my 5 month old swift).
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Old 1st July 2010, 18:36   #123
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Multi-speed intermittent wiper control. Switchgear is of excellent quality:





GTO just one question here, sorry for being ignorant, how does the wiper switch function? First is for rear or for front? Looks very confusing.

Last edited by malgudi : 1st July 2010 at 18:47.
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Old 1st July 2010, 18:47   #124
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The only second Japanese car in this segment and the first from the Jap big 3 (Toyota, Honda, Nissan)
Overall the car appears to be a no-nonsense commuter that is very maruti-like attributes but should be able to beat it in all respects.
For the enthusiast, I dont see anything to get excited about whether its the engine or the handling.
This one is a big softie (it even looks like one)

Not having the diesel ready is a missed opportunity. Launch time is crucial and the whole country is focusing on your product which aquires its first impression.
Imagine if the Figo was launched with petrol only. Would have aquired a bad rep for FE.
VW played it smart by delaying the Polo 1.6

Regarding styling, this being a entry level car for Europe mostly bought by youngsters and thus the cheeky styling. Middle age family man in India may have to look elsewhere for mid-life crisis solution.
Having said that everything from Santro, Matiz, Spark, Corsa have the same cheeky look with the bug shape headlight. and it has worked well in the past.

Otherwise, I see flashes of brilliance but then I also see some glaring mistakes

Flashes of brilliance
  • Keyless entry and start (debued on W211)
  • Superb design & finish of the HU/HVAC control panel. Best execution of silver trim which usually ends up looking tacky (Figo?)
  • Cheeky styling (exterior)
  • Electric fold ORVM with auto-fold function
  • 4-cyl like idle quality and overall NVH on a 3-pot
Glaring Mistakes
  • Sea of grey ruins the overall look of the interior
  • Square shaped fuel door mars the circular theme
  • Molded in Logo on steering screams cheap and in stark contrast with the upmarket looking door handle (stick to a theme guys!!)
  • They adapted the horn pad for India but not the horn itself !!
Logan diesel engine is a proven unit and will enhance the desirability of this product. Jap car with European diesel = success in India. We've seen that with the Swift.
Not having the CVT is another missed opportunity. Take one look at i-10 automatic sales to convince Nissan that this is a growing segment.
I agree black is an executive colour and cannot be cute and cute car should not be black. Figo like squeeze would be more appropriate here.

Any idea on Euro NCAP crash rating?

Last edited by Mpower : 1st July 2010 at 20:28.
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Old 1st July 2010, 19:00   #125
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Very nice review GTO

The car looks set to revolutionize the hatchback segment. Nissan needs to work on the dealership network quickly in order to make this car a real success.

Like many of our fellow bhpians have pointed out, the keyless entry seem to be a botheration. It sure sounds cool but wonder how the usability would be. Isnt there any option to lock the car completely (no access unless you insert the key)?

What is the hatch-like object at the rear window?
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Old 1st July 2010, 19:13   #126
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Originally Posted by ajman28 View Post
What is the hatch-like object at the rear window?
Power for the defogger I guess.
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Old 1st July 2010, 20:29   #127
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ajman28 View Post
Very nice review GTO

The car looks set to revolutionize the hatchback segment. Nissan needs to work on the dealership network quickly in order to make this car a real success.

Like many of our fellow bhpians have pointed out, the keyless entry seem to be a botheration. It sure sounds cool but wonder how the usability would be. Isnt there any option to lock the car completely (no access unless you insert the key)?

What is the hatch-like object at the rear window?
its for the rear defogger. i think 99% of the cars have this.

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Multi-speed intermittent wiper control. Switchgear is of excellent quality:


GTO just one question here, sorry for being ignorant, how does the wiper switch function? First is for rear or for front? Looks very confusing.
well to operate the front wipers the full stalk is pushed down. but to operate the rear wipers the switch on the outer edge of the stalk is twisted.
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Old 1st July 2010, 21:22   #128
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Originally Posted by salbin View Post
I think it will be difficult to fit aftermarket sun-roof in Micra.
Good observation. But to be honest, I don't recommend after-market sunroofs for any car. Sunroofs are best installed at the factory level only.

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Originally Posted by Jaggu View Post
A very detailed review GTO, this would make a good city run about.
Thanks Jaggu.

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Any idea if an auto box is planned?
I've communicated my reasoning to them, and how much it makes sense keeping in mind the urban positioning of the car. It's yet another differentiator too! Looks like they are still evaluating.

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Originally Posted by veerendra.kiran View Post
2. Ride and handling, specifically for highway.
Actually, the ride quality is very good. Whether in the city or out on the highway.

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Originally Posted by good.car-ma View Post
@GTO: Looks like Nissan were very accomodating. They let you fix Team-bhp plates on the car
How come you didnt get into trouble with the cops driving around with plates like that??
In case you were serious, they have been photo-shopped onto the pictures

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Originally Posted by indivic View Post
Is there a way to rate a thread six-star ?
Thanks Indivic. Your saying that is enough of a rating.

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Nissan will probably be happy with lower volumes till they get their dealer network in place and hope that positive experiences from owners will help spread the popularity of the car.
I kinda agree with you. Nissan knows that with 20 dealers, their volumes are going to be limited. They could use this opportunity to keep their customers incredibly happy & build the brand. After all, nothing works like word of mouth in India.

Quote:
Originally Posted by allajunaki View Post
Totally agree that this will be a hit with the ladies.
Showed this car to my wife, and "swoop" she fell for it flat
Hahahaha! Mom & my Sis loved the Micra's styling too.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mpower View Post
Not having the diesel ready is a missed opportunity. Launch time is crucial and the whole country is focusing on your product which aquires its first impression. Imagine if the Figo was launched with petrol only. Would have aquired a bad rep for FE.
Completely agreed. Strike when the iron is hot. Huge opportunity missed out by not releasing a diesel...especially when you have both - the engine and the car - READY!

Quote:
Molded in Logo on steering screams cheap and in stark contrast with the upmarket looking door handle (stick to a theme guys!!)
Going to be chrome on the production car.

Quote:
They adapted the horn pad for India but not the horn itself !!
Nice way of putting it.

Quote:
Any idea on Euro NCAP crash rating?
Nope. Results will be out in a quarter (IIRC).
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Old 1st July 2010, 21:40   #129
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Excellent review GTO! I've seen the test cars on Chennai roads, brighter the colour better the Micra looks!

Any news on their planned production capacity? I mean, they have around 20 dealers. The car isn't priced high like the Jazz to have a limited audience. Will be interesting to see how the demand is going to be and how Nissan handles it.
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Old 1st July 2010, 22:22   #130
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Short TD taken

I've got a short TD of pre-production display the car. Variant is XL.
My notes from the TD:
1. Like many others who have seen the car in metal, I too felt that the car has a presence. It looks well built, and it is.
2. Lack of the driver's seat height adjustment will be missed by ladies and the shorter men. But, it may not be a deal-breaker. If you compare, the seats might be placed lower than in i10, but the driver's side ergonomics are mostly similar. The tilt-adjustable steering helps.
3. The interiors are black in this variant, and it wasn't exciting.
4. The PW controls on the doors do not light up, atleast in this variant. I was told these controls will be illuminated in the XV variant. Overall, the look of the interiors in the night is slightly disappointing. Don't know if this is due to my high expectations from the interiors.
5. The controls for AC, music system were very good to use. The wiper stalk was smooth to use too.
6. The drive I took was for about 3 kms, in normal city traffic conditions, at 8pm. If I have to use one word for the driving experience, it would: "OK". Nothing more, nothing less.
7. The head-lamps are average. The high-beam throw is not great too.
8. Ride comfort: Very good. It took the pot-holes and speed-breakers without a fuss. Had to go on a very rough road of about 100mts, and I didn't feel the undulations of the road inside the cabin.
9. No sill valance covers.
10. No rear cabin light, reading lights.

I was told that the following are due to pre-production model:
1. The gear shift felt little mushy and not slotting well.
2. The pick-up is very low. Revving up is transmitting the engine noise into the cabin, in direct proportion to the needle. Didn't like the grunt of the engine.
3. The click of switching the turn indicators on was a little loud and felt down-market.

Few other things I need to check back again:
1. The roof, specifically at the rear seems to have possibility of holding water. Not a important thing, as the water will be thrown off during drive. But, if the car is stationary, I think the roof might do some rain-water-harvesting.
2. Though the car impressed me at the first look, I walked out of the showroom little disappointed. May be due to my expectations, or maybe due to the price. So, I'll be taking my wife along this weekend and get a fresh perspective.
3. Steering felt hard to hold. Will check the same with leather wrapping if possible in my next TD. But, the actually steering of the car itself is nice, point and drive kind.
4. Didn't open the bonnet yet due to other customers waiting.

Overall impression: Not VFM. But, certainly a good car for someone who is bored of looking at the best-sellers (Swift, i10, etc.) all around.

Price of XV variant: I took the price of only XV as I was looking for that variant. According to the SM, the actual prices may vary by +/-7k ex-showroom.
Ex-Showroom in Bangalore : 5,31,000
Road Tax: 81,774
Insurance: 23,106
Handling: 9,500
On-Road: 6,45,380

There was a question about if someone else having the key fob in their pocket gets down the car and we forget to take it from him/her and drive away. Got it clarified. Yes, the car will run, uninterrupted. So, don't leave the key fob with someone else if you are driving.
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Old 1st July 2010, 22:28   #131
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From whats mentioned by Sid, ex showroom delhi is 4.65L that would translate into around 5.2 OTR . Which is an excellent VFM proposition. excellent features set,quite a few firsts for the segment ,a good brand to back up the product. There are only 3 things which I feel could mar the sales of an otherwise good product,

1) Looks- subjective agreed but in this case the design is love it or hate it,

2) Dealer network,

3) 3 pot engine- This I doubt would make any difference to the potential buyer. Half the people who have a fabia came to know that its a 3 pot when I told them.
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Old 1st July 2010, 23:06   #132
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Great review!
I liked the car, but that cost cutting method on the rear window was too bad, and the interior shade also is not something of my taste, but the quality is simply superb!
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Old 1st July 2010, 23:29   #133
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If priced this side of 3.75lakh, Micra will pose a serious threat to i10!!
With those non inspiring looks and new Swift round the corner, I see no difference to Swift's sales figures.
I wish they price it 3.50lakh ex-show. for the base variant

Why couldn't they design it exactly same as seen in these pics Why they had to make it rounded all the way.
Attached Thumbnails
Nissan Micra : Test Drive & Review-micra1.jpg  

Nissan Micra : Test Drive & Review-micra2.jpg  


Last edited by HammerHead : 1st July 2010 at 23:30.
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Old 2nd July 2010, 00:06   #134
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Thanks again GTO, for yet another excellent review! You really don't leave a reason for someone to do a test drive before booking a car...

In a country like India, I think these keyless entry kind of gizmo's is actually more of a nightmare, than an advantage! As someone rightly pointed out, you park your car by the road side, by the time you light a cigarette / buy a cutting chai from the road side shop, and your car is gone!

By the way, I guess this functionality is more or less same as what I have seen on Nissan Altima in the US. However, a few things I noticed with Altima:
1. The key fob has to be extremely close to the door (less than a meter) to be able to open the door.
2. If the key fob is near the left door, someone cannot open the right door / trunk with the black rubber button.
3. Press the black rubber button twice and all the doors unlock. Press once and only that door unlocks.
4. To lock all the doors, press the black rubber button once, when at least one door is unlocked.
5. You cannot start the car without the key being inside, but, once started, even if the keyfob is taken miles apart, car can be driven away...
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Old 2nd July 2010, 00:09   #135
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HammerHead View Post
If priced this side of 3.75lakh, Micra will pose a serious threat to i10!!
With those non inspiring looks and new Swift round the corner, I see no difference to Swift's sales figures.
I wish they price it 3.50lakh ex-show. for the base variant

Why couldn't they design it exactly same as seen in these pics Why they had to make it rounded all the way.

Thanks for sharing these photos, I didn't know that such a version existed (either in concept or production). It'll be great if you can share some more details about this, if it's not too much trouble.

I see a faint outline of a sunroof in this design as well, wonder whether this version would then have a root support (conventional design) rather than the kinks in the current one to save on costs. I noticed that the Nano Europa uses these kinks on the roof too (parallel ones though). It does add a stylistic element and strengthen the roof as well.
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