Nissan opts for simplicity

The fourth generation Micra is meant to be simple to buy, own and live by. Photo / Supplied

Nissan took the covers off its new Micra small car inside Auckland's Vector Arena. It was dark, a spotlight came on and Nissan managing director John Manley said something like: "Here it is - the new Micra."

The car was alone in the darkness. No dancing girls, no trumpets, nothing. Someone asked: "Where's the dry ice, John?" Manley replied: "We wanted dry ice but OSH said no."

"Why? asked someone else. "Because they can," said Manley.

The naked spotlight said more about OSH than the Micra. So did Nissan's sales theme. It it presenting the Micra under a "simplicity" and "fun" banner - simple to buy, simple to own and simple to live with.

The fourth-generation Micra is Nissan's first model to use the company's new V-platform. V is for versatile, in that Nissan partner Renault is also using the architecture. The five-door Micra is a global car, built at plants in China, Thailand, India and Mexico. It will be sold in 160 countries. The New Zealand model comes from Thailand.

Two models will be available, the standard ST and better equipped Ti, both powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine delivering 75Kw at 6000rpm and 136Nm of torque at 4000rpm and mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox.

Nissan claims town-and-around fuel consumption of 6.6 litres/100km and CO2 exhaust emissions of 154gr/km. The ST starts at $22,600 and the Ti at $24,100. ST has 15-inch steel wheels, and black door handles, while the Ti has 15-inch alloy wheels, body coloured handles, front fog lamps and a chrome surround on the lower grille.

Standard safety equipment includes anti-lock brake electronics, six airbags, and stability control. Also standard are power steering, automatic headlight control, remote central locking and a trip computer with personalised reminders, such as wedding anniversaries. It can even wish its owner "happy birthday."

The same feature is expected to be in Nissan's electric Leaf model, which has been given a fuel economy rating of 99mpg when it goes on sale in the United States next month.

The US Environmental Protection Agency approved the rating after months of research into how to compare a battery-powered electric to a traditional petrol-powered car for the sake of consumer comparisons.

The battery-powered Leaf uses no petrol or oil, and has no combustion engine or fuel tank.

The EPA also surprised Nissan by anointing the Leaf "best in class" for mid-sized vehicles, while saying the car's range is less than Nissan has stated. Nissan had been presenting the Leaf as a compact vehicle. But the EPA measurement of the new model's passenger and boot space bumped it into the mid-size category.

"We're happy to be considered a mid-sized car," said Mark Perry, the Nissan North America product planning director for the Leaf. The larger segment means the electric Leaf will show up in shopping comparisons against more expensive competitor models, including the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord.

But the EPA's new data, which must be displayed on its vehicle window sticker, also indicates the Leaf's battery range is lower than Nissan officials have been claiming publicly.

Nissan has said for more than a year the Leaf will get up to 160km on a full charge of its lithium-ion battery. But EPA testing has put the range at only 118km. Perry said Nissan stood by its battery range claims, and said he did not believe the EPA calculation would chill consumer enthusiasm.

He said battery range varied depending on driving conditions. High-speed highway driving and cold weather driving with a heater turned on drain the battery faster than low-speed driving in temperate climates.

He said the EPA test was biased towards highway driving and higher speeds, while the Leaf would be marketed more heavily to consumers for city commuting use.