Nissan MICRA URBIS SPECIAL EDITION RANGE
Urban Motorists Have A Pretty Tough Time of It So
Nissan Have Launched The Micra Urbis Special Edition By Way Of A Consolation. Steve Walker Reports
The city can be an oppressive environment for the motorist. Short journeys become the work of hours in the traffic-choked streets. Assuming you can find a parking space, using it is often a perilous business with rogue clamping firms poised to impound your vehicle at the slightest infringement and a traffic warden lurking behind every dumpster, Biro hovering. Then youve got the spectre of congestion charging eking its way into the larger conurbations and the devilish one way systems from which you may never escape.
Depressing isnt the word but Nissan, kindly souls that they are, have taken steps to cheer-up beleaguered urban motorists. The Micra Urbis special edition could potentially save you up to £2,190, money which you can put towards that place in the country.
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Urbis is the Latin word for city while the Micra is Nissans popular and ever so slightly quirky, supermini. The Micra Urbis is a special edition version of the Micra with what
Nissan are referring to as an exclusive urban look. On the cars exterior, this translates into a pair of tinted front headlamps and a black roof spoiler attached above the rear windscreen. Inside, the door handles and the instrument cluster surrounds get a titanium finish, there are sports front seats with more prominent side bolsters for extra support and all the seating is finished in INDY fabric.
That little lot does plenty to differentiate the Urbis from more mundane Micras and the car has been temptingly priced to ensure it gets plenty of attention in the showrooms. Nissan are asking £8,495 for the entry-level 1.2-litre 3-door version of the Urbis and that includes a £855 discount on the official list price. If that kind of saving isnt enough to spark your interest, wait because theres more.
Initially, all Micra Urbis models will also come with Nissans City Pack as standard. Its a collection of extras made up of 15" alloy wheels, rear parking sensors and air-conditioning that would normally cost £1,335. Urbis buyers will get the City Pack for free, taking the total saving on this model up to a hefty £2,190. This deal is only being offered for a limited period so if youre keen to take advantage of it, time is of the essence.
"Urbis is the Latin word for city while the Micra is Nissans popular and ever so slightly quirky, supermini"
The Urbis is based on the S model from the standard Micra line-up, so it comes with quite a few features in addition to those weve already touched upon. Twin front airbags get ticked off as does remote central locking with Nissans anti-hijack system. A trip computer and a sliding rear
seat that can be repositioned to increase luggage space or rear legroom are also included. Both the 3 and 5-door Micra bodystyles are available in Urbis form and theres also the choice of two engines.
The 1.2-litre 16v petrol unit is pleasant for zipping around town in. It cruises quietly with the engine note rising at higher revs where theres also some brisk-feeling acceleration - brisker, in fact, than the rather pedestrian 13.9s 0-60mph time suggests.
Fuel economy is a vital factor with small engined superminis and the 1.2-litre Micra keeps its end up well with a 48mpg average and a claimed 38mpg return for the kind of start-stop urban motoring that Urbis target buyers are likely to partake of. The 82bhp 1.5-litre dCi diesel alternative is at the same time feistier and thriftier than the petrol unit but its also over £1,100 more expensive.
Despite a power advantage of just 2bhp, standstill to 60mph is a second faster than in the 1.2 at 12.9s. The powerplant feels a lot more muscular too and this can be attributed to the sizable torque reserves that are produced by this and other modern oil-burning engines.
With 136 lb/ft (compared to 81 lb/ft in the petrol version) and that extra torque coming on stream at lower revs, the diesel is more flexible in each gear and has accessible acceleration through a greater proportion of its rev-range. The other upside is an average fuel economy return of 61.4mpg along with an urban cycle average of some 50mpg, making a 1.5dCi Micra one of the most economical superminis on the market.
Whether youre willing to pay a grand and then some for the diesels added abilities will be a matter of personal taste. On purely financial grounds, the petrols own impressive economy means that youll have to run the diesel for a long time to recoupe the extra outlay in fuel savings. In the end, youve got to prefer the driving experience in the diesel and many will. The Micras big selling point is its styling and if you dont like that, you wont want to buy the car.
Fortunately for Nissan, most people do like it. The flanks have a bevelled waistline that runs from front to rear wing, giving the styling an integrated, cohesive look. The headlights are the key design touch, looking for all the world as if theyd illuminate skywards like twin searchlights. 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. The Micra feels a good deal sharper than expected on the road, with an emphasis placed on driver enjoyment. The ride isnt bad for such a small car, although noise insulation isnt a particular strong point.
The Micra is a strong supermini product and the Urbis special edition supplements those solid foundations with high equipment levels and a low price. Theres nothing really to make this model any more adept in urban conditions than normal Micras but at least the big saving will give city-based owners something nice to think about next time they hit a horrendous traffic jam.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Nissan Micra Urbis Special Edition
PRICES: £8,495-£10,245 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 2E 3E
PERFORMANCE: [1.2] 0-60mph 13.9s / Max Speed 104mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.2] (average) 47.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin airbags, ABS with EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, (5dr) 3715/1860/1540mm
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