And we got it, but why the luck?
Well, because the biggest storm to hit Cape Town all year had just descended on us, us a just a group of journalists in a flock of little 3-cylindered Nissan hatchbacks.
The route was challenging in good weather, in an attempted maelstrom… Well, nobody died. From a rain battered airport hangar we made our way to Villiersdorp by way of Sir Lowry's Pass on the N2, then back via Bainskloof Pass.
Our wheels? The Acenta model – essentially mid-grade with 16 inch wheels its clearest clue. This places it slap bang in the middle of a range that includes Visia (entry grade includes daytime running lamps and spoiler) Acenta and Acenta Plus, beginning at R233,500 for the Visia, R257,400 for the Acenta with the range-topping Plus costing R272,400.
They’re all powered by a common turbo-charged 3-cylinder petrol rated at 66kW and 140Nm and if those numbers sound familiar it is because it is essentially the same one found in its French sister, the Renault Clio. The cabin is dominated by a sporty helm, a style blade for a dashboard plus a wealth of connectivity options.
A great driving position, an engaging steer and pliant ride quality are immediately noticeable as we carved up slippery mountain passes. About that wheel situation - our Acenta comes with 16 inch wheels (Visia gets 15 inch steel wheels and Acenta Plus gets 17 inch alloys). And yes there are more models coming soon with new powertrains, more trim levels and the inclusion of Nissan Intelligent Mobility.
Yours in many colours including orange, blue, red, white and silver with plenty of accessories, styling packs and decal kits. Cool.
Where does this leave the Micra active you ask?
Well, it gets to play the game popularised by Ford’s Figo, Volkswagen’s Vivo and to a lesser extent the Reanault’s Sandero, in that it now becomes the budget option alongside this the new, new Micra.
First impressions of the new Nissan Micra are good, but as is always the case on launch first drives, we’ll only know for sure what Nissan’s new hatchback is like to live with on a daily basis when we’ve had it in our company for a little longer. Be sure to check back for a more in depth review of the new Nissan Micra at a later stage.
Pricing:
New Nissan Micra Visia
| R233,500.00 |
New Nissan Micra Acenta
| R257,400.00 |
New Nissan Micra Acenta Plus
| R272,400.00 |
All models come with Nissan’s 6 year/150,000km warranty and 3 year/90,000km service plan.
