Meet the forever young Micra from Nissan...

Nissan Micra is at it again. The Japanese car has been revamped with a clutch of novel facilities. The small hatchback still manages to stay updated even eight years after its launch in India.
We test-drive Nissan Micra, one of the best CVT automatic hatchbacks available in India.

The global car
Micra is a global car from Nissan. It is sold in almost all markets in the world. It is the hot-sellling model in Europe, Latin America and China. It is called March in its home market, Japan. Renault Pulse and Datsun Micra are just another names for the same car.
Nissan Micra is not just another small car. It has sizzled the roads since 1982. It comes in a variety of avatars, including convertible, coupe and rally sport. It comes with engines below 600 cc in Japan and engines with a capacity of more than 1,600 in several markets.

The novelty quotient
Nissan Micra has been around for a while but it takes pride in a design that stays forever young. The styling is refreshing from any angle. The first changes you notice in the new Micra are the new LED tail lamps and the R 15 diamond cut alloys.



Micra comes with the same features that are otherwise available only in the very expensive cars. The head lamp that has the ‘lead me to car’ and ‘follow me’ features has become automatic. They are switched on automatically after dark. Wipers are fitted with rain sensors. They start work at the first drop.

Elegant interiors
The interior finishing is in black. Seats are in black too. The piano black finish of the central console has become grander than in Sunny.
Orange cars carry the same colour in dashboards and door trims to gain a sporty look. The Sunny model stereo controls mounted on the steering wheel has been incorporated into the new Micra. It also comes with Push button start, two-din stereo, airbag, ABS and EBD.

CVT
Though Baleno and Jazz boast of the CVT automatic gearbox, only Micra has the most modern Xtronic CVT. If automatic gear transmission was looked down upon because of their slow response, Micra has solved the problem with hi-tech.



Driving a Micra, in simple terms, is a pleasure. The 1,200 cc 77 Bhp engine is calm and sturdy. They perform equally good on city roads and highways. Micra offers freedom from gear change without compromising on performance. The decreased turning radius at 4.56 metres and the light steering make the model all the more comfortable. The state-of-the-art suspension is made to pamper the passengers.


Cost effective
Interestingly, the automatic model excels the manual model in terms of fuel efficiency. Micra would easily cover 19.34 kilometres for a litre. You cannot find a better automatic model with this kind of fuel efficiency.

Article source: https://english.manoramaonline.com/business/autos/2018/07/15/meet-the-forever-young-micra-from-nissan.html

Nissan X-Trail 1.6 DIG-T 163 Tekna 2WD

THE Nissan X-Trail has long been one of my favourite 'soft roaders' with its boxy shape and rugged look offset by subtle styling cues to make it look less industrial.

The latest version has taken a bit of getting used to in terms of styling, but under the skin remains a highly capable motor, in both two and four wheel drive versions.

Nissan says the dramatic styling changes are as a result of listening to customers. As it is the best-selling crossover in the world, that would appear to make sense. Most are sold in America, butEurope accounts almost half a million cars.

With a five of five or seven seats, like most crossovers, the design combines robustness with more dynamic styling, with sharper creases and angles.

All models are well equipped with six airbags as standard, plus driver assistance systems including anti-lock brakes and stability control. Other standard equipment includes cruise control with speed limiter, Bluetooth connectivity, manual air-conditioning, electric folding/heated door mirrors and alloys.

The Tekna model features an opening panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, privacy glass, dual-zone automatic air-conditioning and roof rails and excellent parking assist technology gives gives an all round view while parking.

The exterior centrepiece is the wider ‘V-motion' grille, flanked with new headlamp clusters, with full LEDs on this model and ‘boomerang' daytime running light signature.

To the rear there is a redesigned bumper with improved parking sensors, while the rear lamp signature has been upgraded to become full LED.

The interior too is classy with so touch trim and feeling solid and well put together.

Dials and instrumentation are well laid out and easy to use, while the central seven-inch screen controls major functions like navigation and connectivity and the excellent eight-speaker BOSE sound system.

It features a new D-shaped multi-function steering wheel and heated front and second row seats on this model and leather knee pad on both sides of the redesigned centre console.

Head and legroom is good for front and second row occupants, but more cramped on the two seats in the third row.

The are really more suited for children, but could suffice for adults on shorter journeys.

Obviously there is a compromise on boot space with all seats in situ, but otherwise, with the rear pair folded away, stowage space is impressive and slightly roomier than before. A neat touch is the electrically operated boot lid can also be opened with a kick actions.

Capacity is up from 550 litres to 565 litres which can increase to 1,996 litres with all the rear seats folded.

On the road the 163PS petrol engine, mated to six-speed gearbox, has plenty of zip, hitting 60mph in under 10 seconds, but still delivery decent economy, a claimed 44mpg. Ride and handling is decent, what you would expect from a seven seater.

The suspension is set to deliver comfortable rather than sporty ride.

Other high end safety technology includes full range of airbags, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Recognition and Stand Still Assist.

Article source: https://www.eurekar.co.uk/articles/2018-06-16/nissan-x-trail-1-6-dig-t-163-tekna-2wd