Nissan Micra Facelift and Micra Active launched in India

The 4th generation Micra was the first made-in-India Nissan car. Launched in July 2010, Nissan India has put 43,000 units of the Micra on Indian roads. These numbers aren't very inspiring considering the fact that Nissan India has managed to sell less than 1,200 Micras per month on an average, over the last 3 years. On the other hand, the car maker has done very well on the exports front, with Nissan India exporting a few lakh units of the hatchback, to countries across the world.

To boost sales of its entry level car model, Nissan has facelifted the Micra. Also, the pre-facelift model of the car has been re-positioned as the Micra Active, a cut price model that'll sit in the B segment hatchback space leaving the Micra facelift to populate the B+ hatchback segment. This strategy will allow Nissan to straddle two different segments at two different price points, similar to the approach that Ford India has followed with the Classic (previous generation Fiesta) and the new Fiesta sedans. 

With the Micra Active, Nissan is looking to take on cars such as the Hyundai i10, the Maruti WagonR and the Honda Brio. This also explains why the car is a petrol-only model. The Micra Active is priced at 3.5 lakh rupees, going all the way up to 4.71 lakh rupees.The facelifted Micra petrol model starts at 4.79 lakh rupees, going up to 6.39 lakh rupees while the facelifted Micra diesel model starts at 5.99 lakh rupees, going up to 7.14 lakh rupees. All prices are ex-showroom Delhi figures. 

With the Micra Active and Micra Facelift combined, Nissan is targeting volumes of 2,500 units a month. While these numbers seem conservative given the high overall volumes generated by the B and B+ segments, they are more than double of what Nissan was managing with the pre-facelift model. The Nissan Micra is now available in 11 variants, including a CVT automatic equipped model on the facelifted version's petrol variant. 

Click here to read Team-BHP's comprehensive official review of the Micra CVT.

The Micra Active comes in 4 variants: XE (3.5 lakhs), XL (4.01 lakhs), XV (4.39 lakhs) and XV Safety (4.71 lakhs). The Micra Active is available with a single engine-transmission combination with the 1.2 liter-3 cylinder 68 PS-104 Nm petrol engine and a 5 speed manual gearbox doing duty in the car. The car has seen a weight reduction of 30 kilograms while the engine has been detuned. Both these factors come together to make the car more fuel efficient. An ARAI rated fuel economy figure of 19.49 Kmpl is what the Micra Active comes with. The top end variant of the Micra Active gets ABS+EBD and Twin Airbags. 

To achieve the lower price tag for the Active version of the older Micra, Nissan has made a few key changes. Stylistically, the car's front grille loses chrome while the re-profiled bumpers lose the fog lamps. Plastic wheel caps, front seats with fixed headrests and revised dashboard colours are the other key changes on the Micra Active. The higher variants of the car get a factory fitted stereo with USB and AUX connectivity options  

Coming to the facelifted Micra, the hatchback's engine options are unchanged. The 1.2 liter petrol (76 PS-104 Nm) and the 1.5 liter Renault K9K turbo diesel (65 Bhp-160 Nm) motors are the two engine options on the Micra facelift. While both engines get a 5 speed manual gearbox as standard, the top end petrol model is also available with a CVT automatic gearbox. The CVT automatic gearbox is a first-in-class feature as all other automatic cars in the B+ segment hatchback space come with traditional torque converters. The Micra CVT manages an ARAI certified 19.34 Kmpl. ARAI fuel economy figures for the petrol and diesel models of the Micra facelift are 18.44 Kmpl and 23.08 Kmpl. 

In terms of looks, the Micra Facelift gets new headlamps, a more aggressive front grille-bumper job, LED tail lamps, LED Stop lamp, a new rear bumper and new alloy wheels. On the inside, the car gets new upholstery on the reshaped seats, satin inserts on dashboard and door panels, and a glossy black finish for the center console. On the features front, a reverse parking camera, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, height adjustable driver seat, adjustable head rests for the rear seats and steering mounted audio controls are the few major additions. 

Other significant features on the car include key less entry, a start-stop button, automatic climate control and electric wing mirrors with fold function. Nissan has finally given the diesel powered Micra ABS+EBD while the single driver's side airbag now gets company in the form of the passenger side airbag. The petrol variants of the Micra facelift are priced as follows, XL: 4.79 L, XL (O): 5.42 L and XV CVT: 6.39 L. The diesel Micra is priced at 5.99 L for the XL model, 6.43 L for the XL (O), 6.9 L for the XV and 7.14 L for the XV Premium. All prices are ex-showroom figures with the L suffix indicating a lakh rupees.