/ 14 February 2006

The saucy but cute Micra Tekna

Nissan has just launched a three-door oil-burning version of their cute little Micra -the first diesel passenger car bearing the Nissan logo to go on sale here in South Africa. At R139 900 the Micra Tekna is scarcely a budget car, so you’d be justified in expecting it to look the part and come with a full toy-box, and in this you’re not likely to be disappointed. The saucy three-door body struts its stuff with a roof spoiler, side sills, 16″ alloy wheels, a highlighted front bumper housing with foglamps, and dark “eyeliner” headlamp surrounds.

Standard features include electric windows, climate control, central locking, silver-trim on the pedals, a leather-covered steering wheel with controls for the six CD / radio sound system and onboard computer, dual front airbags, and ABS brakes with EBD and brake-assist.

The Micra’s diesel engine is a honey of a motor, delivering lively performance and extreme frugality. Power is 60 kW, but the very useful torque peak of 185 Nm at just 2 000 rpm makes the little car a joy to drive. I covered about 160 km in the new Nissan at its Gauteng launch and was impressed. The car exudes a quality feel, and does everything well.

To drum up publicity for the new three-door car, the company sent one on a trip from Gabarone in Botswana to Maputo, via Pretoria and Mbabane, with an official from Motorsport South Africa on board to make sure there was no skulduggery. The little car covered 963 km in 11 hours and 47 minutes, at an average speed of 81 km/hr, and reached Maputo with 15 litres of fuel left over from the tank-full it had set sail with. At just 3,3 litres per 100 km travelled (around 30 km/litre), that means the car would have managed a further 450 km before running dry.

Despite its lively performance, excellent fuel consumption and styling that’s more hard-edged than the five door petrol versions, the Micra is still likely to appeal to women more than men, thanks to its cutesy looks. The company currently sells a couple of hundred of the four-door petrol versions each month, and the three-door diesel version is likely to elevate that figure considerably.