Nissan Marches Micra Back into Canada

By Bill McLauchlan

Well people, it seems we have an interesting little automotive war heating up next week. And the operative word is little. As in sub-compact cars.

Regular readers will recall a couple of days ago I mentioned Honda’s plan to introduce its new small Fit model to the world next Monday in Detroit. That development came hard on the heels of reports that Mitsubishi is bringing a price-busting sedan version of its entry-level Mirage, called the G4, to next week’s Montreal Auto Show.

Now we get news of another small car making its debut in La Belle Province. Last night Nissan revealed that its sub-compact Micra is making a return to the Canadian market after an absence of a little over two decades. Claiming it will “change the automotive landscape” in this country, Nissan Canada’s president Christian Meunier, said the “Micra will provide Canadian with unbeatable value, Japanese quality, European bold styling and 
fun driving experience they deserve in a small car.”

Photo: Nissan Canada

He also noted this all-new Micra will feature an impressively low cost of ownership and will revolutionize what Canadian consumers expect from an entry-level car.

Them’s gonna be fightin’ words to Honda and Mitsubishi, not to mention the likes of Ford (with its Fiesta class rival), Chevy (Spark), Hyundai (Accent), Mazda (Mazda2), Toyota (Yaris) and others, all with similarly-priced entries in this well populated market segment.

The Micra – sold in 160 other countries globally (with the March nameplate in some) – is rumoured to have a starting price somewhere between $11,000 and $12,000. That would slot it in below Nissan’s current Versa Note in both size and price. It will use the same 109 hp 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine as found in the Versa, instead of the less powerful 1.2-litre unit installed for other markets. A four-speed automatic and a five-speed manual transmission will be available. Given the bone-chilling cold of recent weeks, it’s good news to hear the Micra will incorporate unique features to help cope with our northern temperatures – Nissan has added heating ducts for the rear seat passengers and heated side mirrors, as well as a convenient 60/40-split rear seatback.

The Micras sold here will be built in Mexico, which means it’s helped by the NAFTA trade terms and not subject to import duties, giving it a competitive edge in pricing. Sales will start this spring in Canada only. Hatchback body styles, while popular in our market, have never reached the same level of acceptance south of the border.

Full details on specs and pricing should be announced at its upcoming debut on January 16th.