Nissan Micra C+C 1.4 Urbis
Unless youre a Nissan dealer, Urbis probably isnt a word you stumble across every day. It sounds like the sort of trendy names that design companies are paid fortunes to come up with, which mean nothing but hint at all sorts of desirable product associations. In fact, its Latin for city and sums up where Nissans Micra C+C 1.4 will spend most of its time.
This dinky coupe-convertible, priced from just £13,550, is designed, engineered and built in the UK and, weather permitting, could make quite an impact.
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5 seconds. Itll manage 42.8 miles on a gallon of petrol and emits just 158g/km of CO2 per kilometre travelled. Standard equipment is a standout point on the Urbis, with 15" alloy wheels, electric windows all round, electric/heated door mirrors, six speaker CD radio with steering wheel mounted controls and a trip computer. On top of that little list, there are sports seats, front fog lamps, a switchoffable passenger airbag, and a body-kit loosely modelled on the sporty Micra 160SR. Plus of course the C-VIEW and Auto-Open Roof system. If you dont fancy dropping the top to cool down, manual air conditioning is a £500 option.
If you want this included and some extra kit, theres an ACTIVE LUXURY 1.4-litre model also on offer.
"The Micra C+C 1.4 makes a very compelling package"
The stereo deserves a special mention. The six-speaker system, fitted to all Micra C+Cs, changes its equalisation settings to suit the different cabin environments. There are two settings, roof up or roof down, which automatically alternate as the top is operated via a signal from a control unit. The interior sound characteristic of every car is different due to the cabin area, upholstery, seats and speaker positions and the cabin area changes dramatically of course when the roof is lowered.
The sound emitted from the speakers is then either absorbed or reflected depending on what any obstructions are made from - for example, the seats absorb sound whilst the windscreen reflects it. All this interference pollutes the noise eventually heard by the occupants but the Micra C+C uses Digital Signal Processing (DSP) to tune the volume of each frequency to overcome distortions and produce a faithful reproduction of the original tune. And when the C+Cs roof is lowered, the DSP adjusts itself accordingly. Now that is some clever stuff.
First shown at the 2002 Paris Motor Show, the drop top Micra was changed subtly for production readiness. Usually this means that the eye-catching show car gets horribly watered down, but in the Micras case, it has become even more eye-catching thanks to the addition of a C-VIEW glass roof designed to create an airy, open top feel whether or not the roof is raised. The hardtop itself can be raised or lowered without having to wrestle with any latches, clips or handles. Whats more, it can even be done while on the move and takes 22 seconds to complete its action.
While this may not be the quickest system around, its worth watching this piece of automotive origami as the double-hinged boot lid flips up and swallows the roof. When the roofs in place, the boot opens conventionally at the top. Development and production of this roof has been helped by experts Karmann, who have established a facility in Sunderland to build the hardtop modules. The C+C is lower and longer than the standard Micra, an impression helped by a windscreen thats raked back at a sharp angle.
This means that the roofline is 110mm lower than the standard hatchback while the overall length of the car increases by 90mm. If you think of a Micra as a sit up and beg supermini, the C+C may well come as quite a surprise. Styling tweaks in recent times include changes to the front grille which moves away from the chrome centre line over to a chrome surround, providing what Nissan hope is a cleaner and fresher look. This continues with the front headlamps that now have a less profound profile to the parking aid bump that sits on the lens, making it smoother and incorporating a light blue tint.
Theres also a sportier front bumper. Inside, theres revised interior trim, an MP3 jack socket and sports sculptured seats on most models. Unless you go for the cheapest variant, youll also now find a Bluetooth hands free telephone system, a double DIN audio unit and an audible speed limit warning fitted as standard. Set your maximum speed setting by using the steering wheel button and a bleep will sound as you reach your desired limit; useful when going through reduced speed areas such as road works, villages or near schools.
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 those 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. True, some of the controls are a little small but Nissan have kept the design simple and easy to fathom.
Designed at the London-based Nissan Design Europe studio, developed at the Nissan Technical Centre Europe in Bedfordshire and built by Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd in Sunderland, this is one of the most British cars you can buy. Forget the badge for a moment in todays global village, proprietor nationalities count for very little and enjoy what is quite a superb small car. Keenly priced, sharply styled and beautifully engineered, this is one to watch.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Nissan Micra C+C 1.4 Urbis
PRICE: £13,550 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 5
CO2 EMISSIONS: 158g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 12.5s / Max Speed 109mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 42.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin airbags, ABS with EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3805/1860/1430mm
