We drive the Micra CVT in Mumbai for more than 300 kms
Stress !!! An integral part of every soul competing in the rat race today. To top it all people living in metros like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkatta encounter the additional stress of driving though dreaded traffic everyday.
Nissan stepped into the game by launching the Micra Automatic with CVT technology targeting the busy urban executive who prefers to drive to work himself.
Understand how easy it is to drive the Micra CVT
Think of it and you will realise that having a fully loaded automatic hatch like Micra does make immense sense. Plus it is a perfect car for a small family also. The car is small enough to make its way through dense traffic and later fit into a tight parking slot too! The same car can also be driven by the lady of the house to malls and markets and on weekends the car can ferry a family of four to the hills for quick relaxation. And yes, it manages to do everything so effortlessly.
The earlier Micra was considered a cute looking hatch but after the facelift and addition of the new CVT gearbox, it has evolved into a Smart Hatch for the Smart Urbane Family. With changes to the front fascia, the Micra now looks agile and the creases on the bonnet give it a muscular look, thereby changing the entire identity of the vehicle. The new Micra has very practical and functional interiors too. Firstly, you are greeted with a light coloured cabin which looks youthful and feels premium. The dashboard design has been tweaked a bit and is very functional with switches and controls within easy reach of the driver.
Similarly, getting in and out of the Micra is a breeze. The doors open wide and there is enough space for two adults and a kid in the rear seat. Being a reasonably tall hatch, ingress and egress is very easy especially for older people and those having back or knee problems. The rear seats have a good recline angle along with movable headrests. The knee room and under thigh support is also okay. The front seats could have been a bit broader though. The boot space of approximately 250 litres can easily accommodate two strolley bags along with two shoulder bags which is sufficient for a weekend trip. The suspension too is absorbent and soaks up most of the small potholes.
The top end Micra which we drove came loaded with features like keyless entry, push button start, auto climate control, 4 airbags, decent audio system with 4 speakers, alloy wheels, ABS, CVT with sports mode, height adjustable driver seats and multifunction steering wheel. What we missed were front fog lamps and better illumination from the headlights.
Smart features of the Micra CVT
The smart features make owning and driving the Micra effortless. All you have to do is keep the key fob in your pocket. To enter the vehicle, gently press the call switch on the door handle and pull the handle to open the door.
As u settle down in the driver’s seat, fasten your seat belt, engage the brake and press the Ignition button on the dashboard and the car smoothly fires up. Now just shift into Drive mode and zoom off to your destination. The acceleration is gradual, but you have a Sports mode if u are in a hurry.
The braking is spot on for a small car. The car does revv a lot before picking up speed when u floor the accelerator so you may have to be careful while making sudden overtakes or speed bursts. Similarly, the car takes a fraction to adjust to steep inclines, especially when you have more than two passengers.
But trust us, the Micra is very well behaved at high speeds on straight open roads and is effortless to manoeuvre in heavy traffic conditions.
To sum it up, Nissan has got a winner in its hands. The Micra looks smart, behaves well on the road and drives effortlessly too. The only deterrent here could be the Price, after sales service and costs of spare parts.
Click here to read our official review
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