05:08AM - 19.05.'14
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News Source: autoblog.com
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Several years ago, poutine started showing up on the menus of a number of Detroit-area restaurants. For those unfamiliar with the Canadian specialty, it involves serving up french fries, gravy and cheese curds all in one artery-clogging heap. It's not really my thing, but the comfort-food dish has caught hold here in The D, and many absolutely swear by it. In a country where we happily serve Double Down sandwiches, and where competitive eating qualifies as sport, it's hard to believe le poutine isn't spreading like wildfire. Given Detroit's proximity to Canada, it's not surprising that this culinary creation has managed to find its way across the border. The same thing goes for cars – we Detroiters are routinely privy to lots of Great White North imports. No, we can't buy not-for-US vehicles like the Nissan X-Trail, Mercedes-Benz B-Class (at least, the gasoline version), or now-discontinued products like the Honda Civic-based Acura CSX or EL before it. But Ontario-plated examples of these cars can be seen all the time here in southeast Michigan – it's a far more common occurrence than you might think. These days, it's rare that an automaker will introduce a model to Canada without offering it up in the United States – especially a car that stands to do big things for a company's presence in North America. But with this 2015 Nissan Micra, that's exactly what's happened; Nissan's US arm has repeatedly stated that there are no plans to offer the car in Yankeeland. Why is the Micra so important? This five-door hatchback enters Canada with the coveted title of being the most affordable new car in the country: just $9,998 Canadian (CAD) to start. In fact, the Micra launches to our north just as the larger, four-door Versa Sedan is phased out in Canada – a vehicle that holds the lowest-cost title here in the US, at $11,990 USD. To see what all the budget-friendly fuss is about, I headed to Montreal to sample Nissan's latest offering. Is this subcompact hatch better left as a Canada-only special, or should we Americans be allowed to have our poutine and eat it, too? Read on to find out. The Nissan Micra isn't a completely new idea. Now in its fourth generation, the subcompact hatch has sold in markets around the globe (where it's also sold under the March nameplate) since the 1980s, and it was even previously available in Canada for a while. This latest version is built on the same V-platform architecture that underpins the Versa Sedan and Note hatch, but it's a lot smaller than either. At 150.7 inches long, the Micra is nearly 10 inches shorter than the Versa Note, but importantly, its width and height are within an inch of the larger five-door. The Micra's design is markedly more approachable, with a less aerodynamic but friendlier look than that of the Note, incorporating round styling elements and big features within a familiar, two-box shape. It's not overly cutesy like a Chevrolet Spark, and while it won't win any beauty contests, at least it doesn't look frumpy-dumpy like the dreadful Mitsubishi Mirage. It really just looks like a tiny Nissan, especially from the front, where its grille and headlights bear a strong resemblance to the company's larger products. The car pictured here is a mid-grade Micra SV, riding on 15-inch steel wheels wrapped in P185/60R15 all-season tires and capped with plastic covers. SR models swaps out these cheapo rollers in favor of handsome 16-inch alloys, and the top-trim model's added side sills, rear spoiler, foglights and chrome exhaust finisher actually make for a pretty attractive package. To these eyes, the SR actually looks sort of upscale for the class. Because Nissan is targeting first-time car buyers and younger customers, the Micra is coming to market with a host of optional visual accessories, including the white stripe, mirror caps and door handle accents seen here (one car at the launch event was Fresh Powder white with orange accents, and affectionately earned the nickname "Creamsicle"). They aren't for everyone (my $199 to $499 would be put toward the SR trim), but at this end of the spectrum, personalization is, at the very least, a cool thing to offer. There's a wealth of dealer-installed accessories like bike racks, optional wheels, spoilers and other stick-ons, as well. Aside from the SV and SR trims, Nissan will offer a base S version of the Micra – the "Quebec Special," I'm told – with manual windows and locks, no air conditioning, no Bluetooth, no USB port, no cargo cover, and black door handles and outside mirrors. That's the much-touted $9,998 model, and the moment you option up for an automatic transmission, air conditioning is added in. My SV trim with the optional convenience package – $15,598 CAD, including $1,400 freight – will likely be the most popular of Micra models, and it adds in all the things the S removes. There's also a 4.3-inch color display for the radio, a backup camera, upgraded cloth fabric on the seats, and more. Unfortunately, you still can't get things like navigation, leather upholstery, or even the usual soft-touch materials on the dash. All in, even the highest-end SR trim offers an interior that's a relatively basic affair – cheap plastics and a focus on functionality come before comfort. Sure, the fit and finish is comparable to what else is offered in the super-cheap subcompact segment, but heck, even the Mirage offers navigation. |
