Car Reviews > Nissan > Micra DIG-S > Nissan Micra DIG-S Car Review
Prices: £11,000 (estimated)
Engine: 1.2-litre 3-cylinder supercharged petrol
Gearbox: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power/torque: 97bhp/ 142Nm 0-60 mph: 11.3 seconds
Top Speed: 111 miles per hour Combined
Economy: 68.9 miles per gallon
Emissions: 95g per kilometre
Equipment: Stop start, alloy wheels, power steering, ABS, air conditioning, ESP, remote central locking
On Sale: September 2011
The Nissan Micra line up welcomes this supercharged new edition.
A diesel engine is not necessary to achieve great fuel economy – or at least that is the bold claim that Nissan are making with the new Micra DIG-S Pure Drive. The new Nissan Micra is powered instead by a brand new 97 bhp 1.2-litre supercharged petrol unit which has no less than three cylinders and uses a much more efficient engine cycle that has very low revs whilst also including such features as direct injection, low friction surfaces, and a stop start system. The result is an impressive fuel consumption rate of 68.9 miles per gallon, with CO2 emissions of just 95g per kilometre.
The engine gives the usual performance one expects from a 3-cylinder unit and even with the addition of the supercharger, it still requires a great many revs before it is able to reach its very best. The fact that it is clearly tuned with economy in mind over everything else is only underlined even more by the 0-60 miles per hour time of 11.3 seconds.
When at low revs, the supercharger tries to save as much fuel as it possibly can by disconnecting and the stop start system is very quick off the mark to shut down the 1.2-litre unit.
When actually out on the road, the 5-speed gearbox does have a tendency to start whining the faster the car travels, and that tends to mean that you feel very little in the way of enthusiasm to actually drive it. This is, put simply, basic transport and not much more than that, a fact brought home even further by the fact that the interior of the car is lacking in even any trace of flair or style and lacks the quality of even its most inexpensive rivals in the field.
One way in which the quest for economy at all costs does appear to have benefitted the Nissan Micra DIG-S however is that visually it looks surprisingly impressive with that new grille and the roof spoiler that has been lengthened quite considerably. Aside from the engine, however, the new Nissan Micra DIG-S is remarkable as a super car only in terms of how incredibly unremarkable it actually really is, and in a class where excellence is fast becoming the norm rather than the exception that proves the rule, “unremarkable” isn’t really going to cut it anymore. While the level of economy and the reduction in CO2 emissions are factors that are undeniably difficult to entirely dismiss, the fact remains that the Micra actually has little else to truly recommend it to the consumer. The styling is unimpressive in the extreme, and the interior is actually less impressive than the car it is supposed to be the replacement for. While the DIG-S engine delivers a genuinely enthusiastic performance for the most part, and it is undeniably impressive that it is able to be even more economical than the version that is not supercharged, the fact nonetheless remains that it needs to find itself a better bonnet to be under than this one, in order to really make its mark on the market.
by Autoweb
Four Scottish authorities invest in 12 Nissan LEAFs
Twelve Nissan LEAFs have been purchased by four local authorities in Scotland in a bid to lessen their carbon footprint and improve air quality. The purchase of the 100% electric vehicle was covered by a grant from Transport Scotland. The funding defrayed the initial cost of the EVs and enabled four Scottish authorities to invest in 12 Nissan LEAFs. The authorities are Dumfries and Galloway Council, Dundee City Council, NHS Tayside, along with Perth & Kinross Counci...
Nissan NV200 chosen as "Best Small Trades Van"
For its huge versatility and significant storage capacity, the Nissan NV200 was named as the "Best Small Trades Van" in this year's Trade Van Driver magazine awards. The awards give due recognition to carmakers that provide the best van to buyers. The judges include a panel of readers who utilise LCVs in their businesses along with the journalists at Trade Van Driver magazine. "This small van with the big interior is now becoming a common sight on ...