Nissan Micra 160SR : WHIRRED ON THE STREETS

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Dubbing a Nissan Micra as a Street Racer might elicit a few chortles but does the Micra 160SR deserve due respect? Andy Enright decides

If I mention the words Nissan and Micra to you, what does that conjure up? For me, it elicits images of driving school cars driven by white knuckled students, weaving drunkenly from lane to lane. The latest generation version of the Micra is a little less econobasic than its predecessors but even this car is rapidly proving a favourite of driving instructors the length of the land. Lest we forget, this is Nissan, the same manufacturer who brought us legends like the 240Z, the Skyline and, latterly, ripsnorters like the 350Z. If nothing else, Nissan knows how to engineer a decent sports car.

Can the Micra 160SR possibly be counted amongst them?

For those of you with a problem with suspense, the answer is an emphatic no. The 160SR will never be a cult car. After all, fronting up at the party with a mere 110bhp under that voluptuous bonnet means this Micra will never be anything more than an interesting oddity. History may well soon forget this car, but that doesnt mean that its not relevant in the here and now.

Put it up against a MINI Cooper and the Micras lower price (£10,695) and vastly superior power to weight ratio pose the BMW product some uncomfortable questions. Given the number of Coopers that are flying from MINI showrooms, its not too much to expect a small percentage of potential MINI buyers to want something a little different is it? Is it? We certainly hope not, for the Micra 160SR looks an endearing thing, whether you choose three or five-door bodystyles. Its aimed at the young buyer who wants something that can put a smile on their face without proving a liability when the time comes to get an insurance quote. This market is already liberally stuffed with cars like the Ford Fiesta Zetec-S and the Citroen C2 VTS, so elbowing talented rivals like these aside may take some doing.

Fortunately Nissan havent been to the Pimp My Ride school of car cosmetics when it comes to giving the 160SR a visual pep up, instead offering a subtle set of modifications.

"The Micra 160SR is a street racer pumped full of oestrogen"

Developed by the team who tuned the 350Zs chassis for European conditions, the 160SR rides on graphite-finished 16-inch alloys which offer a decent compromise between lowering unsprung weight, keeping replacement tyre costs manageable and giving the car enough attitude to fill the wheelarches. The front spoiler is a little deeper and is punctuated by projector fog lamps. The headlights get a smoked effect which works especially well with lighter paint colours. Door sill spoilers visually lower the car and theres a small roof spoiler atop the tailgate.

Its not going to turn heads but if you take a good walk round the car, youre sure to be impressed by the way these latest changes have been integrated into the familiar Micra silhouette. The interior features deeper cut sports seats, a set of the almost obligatory white dials and aluminium pedals. The changes arent all cosmetic either. The steering system has been reworked to require a little more heft and return more feedback to the driver, yet despite the changes to the steering and the bigger wheel set, the turning circle remains as tight as ever, making the Micra an excellent tool for inner city manoeuvres.

The driving position is good, although the steering wheel adjusts only for rake and not reach. Under-confident drivers will be relieved by the fact that the headlights are visible from the drivers seat, giving an easy width reference. Otherwise, the dashboard is a little more conventional than the wacky styling may lead you to believe, some of the controls are a little small but Nissan have kept the design simple and easy to fathom. This unthreatening nature is key to the success or otherwise of the 160SR.

Despite Nissans hopes, this car isnt going to sell to the sort of testosterone-fuelled youth who wants the quickest and most aggressive car their insurance budget will allow. For all the work done on the 160SR, its still a Micra and that probably wont cut it with the Max Power or the Gran Turismo generations. Where the 160SR may well score a few sales is amongst those buyers who liked the standard Micra but just wanted something with a bit more under the bonnet. They may well appreciate the racy touches, but above all want a good looking car that can cope with longer journeys without being harassed by articulated trucks.

The Sport SR fits this brief very well and when these buyers choose to sell the car on, itll make a very attractive and lightly worked used proposition. On paper, theres not too much to fault the Nissan Micra 160SR. Its inexpensive, affordable to insure, looks pretty funky and will be metronomically reliable. What it lacks is a certain machismo, but just as one group of buyers are turned on by huge spoilers, gumball tyres and body stripes, another is attracted to the cars low key subtlety.

If nothing else, the 160SR should be a car capable of scalping some more esteemed metal and of putting a big smile on your face in the process.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Nissan Micra 160 SR
PRICE: £10,695-£11,345 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 6
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 9.8s / Max Speed 110mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 42.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin airbags, ABS with EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3715/1860/1520mm