Currently reading: New Nissan Micra details revealed
New small platform strategy means less weight, fewer parts and better fuel economy

Nissan’s replacement for the Micra will be the first car to be built on a new global small car platform, designed to be cheap enough to build and sell in developing markets but also sophisticated enough for Western Europe.

Nissan claims car makers usually take an existing platform and strip content from it for use in emerging markets. This project takes a platform engineered primarily for those areas, then adapts it for mature markets.

See the pics of the new Nissan Micra

The ‘V-platform’ will underpin cars up to 1600kg in weight and with a maximum torque output of 147lb ft. This means the largest engine fitted to the family of small cars will be a 1.5-litre turbodiesel. The first three cars to use it will be the Micra replacement, a small MPV and a small saloon.

Engineered by Nissan in Japan, the platform project focused on reductions in weight and the number of components.

The V-cars have 18 per cent fewer parts than Nissan’s previous small cars, according to the firm. The dashboard assembly is made up of 28 parts instead of 56 and the seats are now made up of 50 parts, down from 85.

Nissan says much effort went into maximising refinement, in light of the lightweight construction. Engineering tricks include more rigid floor pressings, isolation of suspension from the floor and shapes pressed into the roof to reduce resonance.

The majority of V-platform cars will be powered by new, low-friction three-cylinder engines, which will come in 0.9 and 1.2-litre capacities. Most versions will probably feature turbochargers.

Nissan engineers say the combination of lightweight engineering and torquey engines could deliver significantly better fuel economy than rival vehicles.

The company has also engineered a new, very compact, low-friction CVT transmission, which has a much higher top ratio than normal.

The V-platform has been primarily engineered for comfort on the demanding roads in emerging markets such as India and China. For Western versions of the V-cars, extra emphasis will be placed on refinement and body control.

Hilton Holloway

Twitter - follow autocar.co.ukSee all the latest Nissan reviews, news and video

Advertisement

Read our review

Car review
Nissan Micra
Its ambition is to be a world player, so will it show world-class ability?

The Nissan Micra is a supermini offering low running costs but in most other areas is below the class average

Join the debate

Comments
7
Add a comment…
tannedbaldhead 6 November 2009

Re: Nissan's radical new Micra

beemerboy wrote:
to hold up the outside lane of the motorway.

Not so. My wife's Micra 160SR was so much more fun to drive that I turned my nose up at either an M Sport 1 or 3 Series. I just wasn't prepared to spend my hard earned cash on a car that couldn't put as big a smile on my face as a little Nissan Micra. I Recon that car was held up by more BMs than it ever held up its self. What I remember about BMW drivers was that they were particularly reluctant to move over when they saw the Noddy Mobile behind them, particularly if driven by a woman.

nissantrader 6 November 2009

Re: Nissan's radical new Micra

chears.

Conceded....it realy is dull!. hope it's not finished.

robk77 6 November 2009

Re: Nissan's radical new Micra

nissantrader wrote:
Where are these pictures? All I can find are pics of a mule wearing a current micra body.

Here:

http://www.autoblog.it/post/23126/nissan-micra-foto-spia-della-vettura-definitiva