It’s true to say that most drivers have owned a small car at some point in their driving life and the Nissan Micra has been one of the most popular choices over the past three decades.

Nissan has sold millions on the premise of it being economical and easy to both drive and park. But all new Nissan is different. It’s gone from frumpy to funky, with the promise of a sportier drive and classier interior in an effort to attract people downsizing from larger cars.

At present buyers have the option of a turbocharged 0.9-litre petrol engine and a 1.5-litre diesel, although a cheaper, naturally aspirated 1.0-litre petrol will follow.  The turbocharged petrol and the diesel are quite equally matched so it will really be a personal preference.

The turbocharged 0.9-litre petrol engine in the Micra is the same one that’s in the Renault Clio. But what feels sluggish in the Clio zips the Micra along quite happily, giving you the performance you need not only for urban driving, but also for unobtrusive motorway use.

A big part of this is due to the solid swell of shove provided from low to mid-way up the rev range, but the engine is also happy to be worked hard and should return an average 55mpg+ in real world driving.

 

The Micra’s suspension is fairly stiffly sprung, so it stops the car bouncing around over undulating roads. This is particularly noticeable around town where the Micra has a tendency to crash over rather than absorb potholes and poor road surfaces.

Light steering makes the Micra undemanding in town, but out on the open road the steering doesn’t compare to the consistency that you’d expect from Ford Fiesta or Renault Clio.

Considering the sportier bent trumpeted by Nissan, this is a little disappointing, because it means that when pushing on you don’t feel the car is as intuitive as you’d like. But body lean is well controlled and there’s plenty of grip in dry conditions.

There is some rumble from the tyres at speed and, like most three-cylinder engines, the 0.9-litre unit in the Micra gets quite vocal at higher revs. However, it’s easy to live with and the diesel engine is both smooth and quiet.

The gearbox isn’t as impressive because it has a somewhat nondescript action, but the clutch is fairly light and positive, and the brakes progressive, so you can drive the Micra smoothly in snarled-up city traffic where it will feel at home.

Most people will be able to find a driving position that works, thanks to the standard height-adjustable driver’s seat and a steering wheel that moves for reach as well as height which is quite unusual to find for cars in this sector and a strong selling point.

What’s more, the dashboard impresses, with large dials and well-labelled switches that are logically arranged so you quickly feel at home in this car.

Rear visibility is limited due to the car’s thicker rear pillars and a shallow rear screen so you’ll need rear parking sensors and a reversing camera, which are options on the popular, mid-spec Acenta trim, but only standard on the range-topping Tekna model.

Acenta models and above come with a high resolution 7.0in touchscreen that’s clearly laid out, so even though some of the icons are a little tricky to hit accurately on the move, it’s a pretty intuitive system.

You have to buy an optional Connect package or upgrade to the pricer N-Connecta or Tekna trims if you want built-in sat-nav and a DAB radio, but Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink are standard on mid-spec Acenta models, allowing you to use your phone’s apps via the screen.

The optional Bose stereo has speakers on the sides of the driver’s headrest and creates very effective surround sound.

A nice mix of materials cover the dashboard, making the Micra appealing to sit in compared to most of its rivals and you can see and feel Nissan has made an effort with this car.

Unfortunately, unless you choose one of the priciest versions of the car, the steering wheel is plastic and the gear lever rubber, making these key contact points feel cheap. That’s particularly disappointing given that much of the competition applies soft leather in these areas.

The Micra is one of the roomiest cars in its class, offering all but the very tallest people plenty of head and leg room.

Practical features include a decent sized, rubber-lined cubbyhole at the foot of the centre console, which is illuminated by LEDs, making it easy to spot things inside at night and is a nice touch.

Nissan hasn’t given the Micra any tricks to make its interior especially versatile; all models get a simple fixed rear seat base and a backrest that splits and folds down 60/40. Dropping the backrest leaves a big step up from the boot floor, too, although this is also the case in most rivals.

The Micra’s boot is a decent shape and usefully wide, so it’s easily capable of taking a fold-up buggy or a big weekly shop.

The entry-level Visia trim comes with Bluetooth and a stereo with two speakers, but you have to upgrade to Visia+ to get air conditioning. It’s actually the mid-spec Acenta model that’s my recommendation because it also brings a touchscreen infotainment system, alloy wheels and cruise control.

While the all-new Micra hasn’t been included in any customer satisfaction surveys as yet, previous versions have consistently performed well. Further reassurance comes from the trusted performance of the Nissan brand, which finished a respectable 11th out of 38 manufacturers in a recent reliability survey.

All Micras come with an impressive list of standard safety equipment, which includes front, side and window airbags, a lane departure warning system and an automatic emergency braking system that can stop you from running into pedestrians or another car. It’s still to be crash tested by Euro NCAP, but given this equipment, I’d be surprised if it didn’t earn the maximum five-star rating.

So the Micra deserves credit for its abundance of safety aids and sharp styling which will future-proof this car for some time to come and add a touch of chic to a sometimes bland motoring landscape.

• Model: Nissan Micra
• On sale: Now
• Price range: £11,995-£18,645
• Engine range: Turbo-petrol – 0.9-litre; Turbo-diesel – 1.5-litre
• Power: 0 to 60mph in 11.9 seconds, 111mph top speed (1.5TD)
• Average fuel economy: 88.3mpg (1.5TD)
• CO2 emissions range: 85-115g/km
• Rivals: Citroën C3, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai i20, Peugeot 208, Skoda Fabia, Vauxhall Corsa, VW Polo
• Rating: 9/10