Fifth-generation Micra is much more than a rental

Nissan might be best known for its bakkies, SUVs and GT-Rs but the Japanese brand has not forgotten its passenger car portfolio. Keen to reassert itself in the compact car market locally, Nissan’s sales strategy in this regard revolves around its fifth-generation Micra. 

Mechanically it is a twin of the current Renault Clio, with some distinguishing Japanese styling details such as switchblade rear lights and pronounced shoulder line styling creases.

The compact hatchback segment is South Africa’s most traded passenger car class and Nissan is doing something unusual by adding new Micra to its existing Micra Active/ Nissan Micra 2019, which is the fourth-generation car.

VW has shown how successful retailing a legacy model can be, by virtue of its dominance with Vivo, which is a previous generation Polo.

Nissan’s now in the position too much the same, with two-generations of Micra in the market, at Group 1 Nissan, creating a much broader pricing bandwidth.

Powered by an 898cc turbocharged three-cylinder engine, booting to 66kW and 140Nm, it promises to be both frugal and responsive.

A five-speed manual transmission runs the little city car from 0-100kph in 12.1 seconds, whilst a conservatively driven one should return an average fuel consumption of 5.1l/100km.

The range is three derivatives strong, with the anticipation of more engine and transmission options to come towards the end of 2018. Visia trim denotes the entry-level model which cruise control, air-conditioning, Bluetooth and a host of standard features such as ABS, stability control and hill-start assist – the latter being a very useful feature if you live in Northcliff or Sea Point.

Whereas rival brands often skimp a touch on the active safety specification of their compact hatchbacks, Nissan’s gone full-in with all the safety features you’d expect on a C-segment vehicle in its B-segment hatch.

Extending the range is Micra Acenta, adding alloy wheels and a seven-inch infotainment display which is Apple CarPlay compatible. The range-topping model is an Acenta Plus, which sizes-up the alloy wheel offering to 17-inches in diameter and has orange cabin trim.

What’s it like to drive? Curiously, Micra’s appeal pivots on its engine. If you keep the tiny turbocharged triple boosting, it’s credibly responsive and despite its compact size, Micra tracks reassuringly, even at highway speeds.

A consequence of having to keep the sub-1-litre engine on boost all the time is that fuel economy will never edge close to the claimed average of 5.1l/100km. A sixth gear will assist in lowering consumption at highway speeds and this certainly an upgrade which will be offered in time.

There are two advantages of Micra’s tiny engine which are not ordinarily considered. One is the reduction in mass above the front axle, which means Micra turns-in very crisply, without a nose-heavy feel when you are in a hurry and the road is a serpentine sequence of winding of corners.

The other is that at Gauteng motoring altitudes, where the air is thin and engines struggle for power, a turbocharged engine is far less afflicted by induction asthma than a naturally aspirated one.

Whereas most competitors have allowed VW to dominate the compact hatchback market in South Africa with its combination of legacy Vivo and new Polo, Nissan’s finally learnt that imitation is the best route to a rivalry.

Offering a combination of fourth- and fifth-generation Micra, on one generously broad pricing graph, is the closest thing to a true range alternative VW’s ever had to deal with in the South African market.





Article source: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/nissan-micra-turbocharged/

Tested: Nissan Navara Stealth is an attractive package

Nissan Navara 2.3D Stealth 4x4 auto

Vehicles that don’t match their names often end up taking flak from buyers, reviewers and internet trolls alike. This is usually because it says sporty on the box but the actual toy isn’t much fun to play with.


But Nissan’s new Navara Stealth edition is something we’ll happily forgive for its mismatched name. Stealth is a word you’d usually associated with going undercover, but this Nissan instead attracts attention on the street with its orange trim on the front bumper, side steps and wing mirrors as well as its large stickers and black wheels and grille. The latter in my opinion works better than the chrome trim that adorns other Navara models at Group 1 Nissan, and it makes for a sportier look.


The Stealth package is a purely aesthetic one, however, meaning that in essence this is a rival to the Ranger Wildtrak rather than the Raptor. The Stealth is available in 4x2 manual and auto as well as 4x4 auto configurations, commanding a very reasonable price premium over the Navara LE variants.


While it can’t match the 157kW/500Nm Ford for outright grunt, the 2.3-litre twin-turbo that comes standard in all Navaras is still more powerful than most rivals, producing 140kW at 3750rpm and 450Nm from 1500 revs.


The engine provides relatively effortless performance and it’s impressively smooth, quiet and refined too, and the seven-speed automatic gearbox is reasonably responsive.


On the subject of refinement, the Nissan Navara is the only vehicle in its class to feature a coil-sprung rear suspension rather than leaf springs, and while the unladen ride is comfortable enough on most surfaces, it doesn’t seem notably better than its rivals in that regard, and you’ll also feel an uncomfortable firmness over larger speed bumps - as you would in other bakkies. The Navara does handle corners quite neatly though.


For those that want to venture deep into the wilds, the Navara has all the typical ingredients you’d expect at this level, including a transfer case with low-range gearing, diff lock and a ground clearance of 129mm. While on the subject of utility, the Navara is rated to tow 3500kg (braked) and the payload is just short of a tonne, at 961kg.


It will make a decent family vehicle too, with relatively generous rear legroom, although really tall teens will probably want more headroom.


The features count is as generous as you could expect, with standard fare including partial leather seats (heated upfront and with electric adjustment for the driver), dual zone climate control, keyless push-button start, cruise control, auto headlights, a touchscreen infotainment system with satnav and a 360-degree Around View Monitor.


The Stealth also gets a unique seat upholstery that pairs black leather side bolsters with orange material inserts and stitching. It works well to lift the mood inside, without being too OTT.

VERDICT

The Navara operates in a cut-throat segment that has no shortage of talent, and although it doesn’t stand apart from its rivals in any particular area, it is a decent all-rounder that offers impressive all-round refinement. This could be a very attractive package for someone wanting to avoid the Hilux-Ranger herd, and stand out a little on the road (and trail).





Article source: https://www.iol.co.za/motoring/road-tests/tested-nissan-navara-stealth-is-an-attractive-package-30229827

Will the NP200 ever achieve the much-loved status of “the 1400”?

Looking at the number of sales the 1-ton pick-up market keeps racking up month-after-month, as it has been doing for many years, one has to ask the question why there aren’t more smaller pick-ups on the market.


Once a thriving segment with a few competing offerings, the half-ton bakkie segment had the Ford Bantam (based on the front-drive Ford Escort hatch) and re-badged Mazda Rustler, Volkswagen Golf pick-up (which was based on Golf 1, and later renamed Caddy pick-up)… and way before them, the Datsun 1200 bakkie was born. This little bakkie became the Nissan 1400, and through a few upgrades like a higher roof and new face, stayed true to its origins. The Bantam was built for quite a few years, but then ended, while the VW Caddy kind of had to retire after the long-standing CitiGolf (Golf 1) was stopped. Interestingly, the oldest of the group also endured the longest, as 1400 outlived all the abovementioned half-tonners. Only the Opel Corsa Utility, as the new entrant, made some inroads – this became Chevrolet Utility. Fiat tried this for a while with its Strada, but quit.


When it came time for Nissan to close the 1400 production line, it commemorated it with a Heritage edition model, bowing out this little winner in style. The last of the rear-wheel-drive half-ton bakkies had to go. Nissan SA decided it was time to let it go… but why did it? Just looking at the high demand for the 1400 even now, and seeing how many are still running around daily, there would no doubt still be buyers today.


The big question was: what will they replace it with? Nissan had formed an alliance with Renault, who in turn has ties to Dacia. The Dacia bakkie seemed a good source to continue Nissan’s long-standing small bakkie sales strength, so the NP200 was decided on. However, this is not a true Nissan – just look at the front-end and interiors of the Dacia/Renault Logan sedan (which was thankfully stopped for the local market) and you’ll see the similarity between Logan and “Nissan” NP200.


Nissan SA introduced the Nissan NP200 for sale in September 2009, overlapping with the last of the 1400s produced. A sad day for South Africa – not so much the discontinuation of the 1400, but the NP200 marketed as a continuation of the loved little heritage bakkie.


It was very bold of Nissan to, in 2011, extend the warranty of all-new NP200 bakkies to 6 years or 150 000km. This means a buyer of a new NP200 would have a long time and far distance to go before the warranty expires.


Nissan SA boasts a comprehensive range of LCVs (Light Commercial Vehicles) in its commercial portfolio – the NP200 is at the bottom, and also sells the NP300 Hardbody, Navara (up for replacement by the NP300 Navara) and the Patrol pick-up, which had received a look similar to the Patrol SUV.


Strange that there are only 2 remnants of the half-ton bakkie – this Nissan NP200 from Group 1 Nissan, and the Chevrolet Utility, both selling 1200+ per month. Ford is expanding its commercial range but is happy to sell only Ranger and panel vans. Toyota actually had a small 1200 bakkie many years ago, but no replacement was made. Today only Volkswagen has a chance of re-entering this market when seeing the Saveiro from Brazil.



Article source: https://welovenissan.tumblr.com/post/190380871033/will-the-np200-ever-achieve-the-much-loved-status