Cute & affordable starting under $10k
I remember when Nissan Canada announced the Nissan Micra would be available for under $10,000 at last year’s Canadian International Autoshow in Toronto. I instantly thought of the many new immigrants and temporary foreign workers that are usually looking for the best and most affordable option for their first vehicle in Canada.
The base Nissan Micra S model starts at $9,998, and is equipped with a manual transmission, roll-down windows and no air. The media test model provided was the Nissan Micra SV model that was equipped with automatic transmission, power windows, power locks, air conditioning and a cute but tiny 4.3″ display with a backup camera.
As one passenger remarked during my week long review, it’s a cute car. It’s affordable and economical. I’m trying to recall the last time I was in a car that had roll-down windows. Power windows is such a luxury and is taken for granted but is nearly one of those car features that is standard in almost all new cars today.
The Nissan Micra returns to Canada after a 22-year absence. Interestingly enough, I also recall that the Nissan Micra would only be sold in Canada and not in the United States.
The interior of the Micra is very spartan with simple controls for the radio, climate controls and the buttons on the steering wheel. The interior is made up of hard plastics on the dash and cloth on the seats.
Under the hood, the Nissan Micra SV is equipped with 1.6L 4-cyclinder engine that pumps out an amazing 109hp and 107 lb.ft. torque. It handles well at city speeds under 80km/hr. Driving it on the highways at 100km/hr, the engine humming was noticeable.
The Nissan Micra SV is a good car for urban warriors and great for parking in the smallest of parking spots. Storage space in the back hatch is good and even better when the rear seats are folded down to provide for more cargo space. Great for trips to the grocery store, or the mall for all your Christmas shopping.
Other cars in the subcompact segment include the Ford Fiesta, Toyota Yaris, Mitsubishi Mirage, Mazda 2 and the Chevrolet Spark.
Photos by Ron Cantiveros | Filipino Journal
