Nissan MICRA XS SPECIAL EDITION
Nissan Hope The XS Special Edition Can Attract Younger Buyers Who Value The Sportier Side Of Life Into Micra Ownership. Steve Walker Reports
The problem faced by the younger driver these days is one of champagne tastes and an alcopop budget. These little tearaways have passed their driving tests and now they need some wheels that will provoke fits of uncontrollable jealousy amongst their peer group. A car that will elevate them to some omnipotent, god-like status and provide the key to eternal popularity.
The problem is that vehicles fitting this description are expensive, very expensive, not just to buy but to insure, maintain and fill with fuel. Sensible, affordable cars just arent sexy enough and by the time the eager young drivers can afford a car that is, theyre old and dont feel like being sexy anymore. Nissan claim to have the answer, a good-looking, sporty car thats cheap to buy, run and insure: its called the Micra XS. The youth of today are increasingly obsessed with carrying-out ill-advised Max Power-style makeovers on their cars. Youve seen the type of vehicle, lowered to within an inch of the asphalt, sporting a spoiler the size of a picnic table and an exhaust pipe that youd need a miners helmet to safely explore. Spending £4,000 to modify a £1,000 car is always a questionable course of action and it looks even more eccentric in light of Nissans Micra XS special edition (not to be confused with the SX trim level in the standard range).
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Youll pay just £8,795 for the 1.2-litre three-door version or as much as £10,095 for the 1.5-litre dCi five-door but for that you get a haul of sporty accessories that reads like a boy racers Christmas list. 15" alloy wheels, a (tasteful) roof spoiler, body coloured electric door mirrors, exclusive dashboard trim and an aluminium gear knob mark this car out as one that means business.
"Younger drivers find insurance increasingly difficult and expensive to come by but theres a years worth of cover available free with the XS"
Furthermore, the XS is based on S trim so you get all the standard features that every S-spec Micra owner can expect. Power steering, electric front windows, ABS with brake assist, twin front airbags and keyless entry all feature as does a rear bench that slides neatly back and forth increasing in turn either the rear legroom or the amount of available boot space. The XS models prices position them £800 above the equivalent S versions in each case and thats an attractive price to put on all that extra equipment but theres yet more to the XS package. Younger drivers find insurance increasingly difficult and expensive to come by but theres a years worth of cover available free with the XS, so long as you pay for the car using Nissans Preferences PCP finance scheme.
The Micra XS certainly leads bystanders to believe that its got some performance up its sleeve and the engines do a reasonable job, as long as youre not expecting to beat genuine warm hatches away from the lights. Still, as the higher performance superminis disappear off into the distance in a cloud of tyre smoke, you can console yourself with the knowledge that they must be paying the mother of all insurance premiums and you got 12-months cover on your Micra XS for diddlysquat. If we can get down to cold hard facts, the 1.2-litre engine can reach 60mph in 13.
9s before running out of steam at 104mph. The 65bhp 1.5-litre dCi diesel fairs rather worse on paper with the 17-second sprint time falling some way short of what youd want from a moderately sporty hatchback. This dCi common-rail engine does redeem itself a little, however, with some useful mid range acceleration that defies its pedestrian 0-60mph rating.
Fuel economy is much more of a strong point, thanks to an average of 48mpg possible with the 1.2-litre engine and a remarkably thrifty 61mpg if you go for the oil-burner. It seems that the XS is more about looking good and saving money that going excessively fast. The
Nissan Micras big selling point is its styling and if you dont like that, you wont want to buy the car.
Fortunately, 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 rear lights are neat vertical strips housed into a bustle thats modestly reminiscent of Renaults current styling theme.
In fact, this French connection isnt coincidental. The Micra is the first car to be built on the Alliance supermini platform developed jointly by Nissan and its majority shareholder
Renault. Its a platform that draws upon the companies joint expertise in compact engines, the units in question being fitted tightly beneath the minuscule bonnet. 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, although the Bakelite-style ivory control switches on the upper spec models are a neat touch, apparently designed to ape traditional Japanese ceramics. 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 strong point.
Overall the Nissan Micra looks and feels reassuringly modern. Nissan have broken wholesale with staid, reliable but unexciting image of the previous car and the result is perhaps the most distinctive supermini around. In XS special edition form, the car gets an added sporty dimension that jars slightly with its basic character but the spoiler and the alloys do look the part and few can afford to ignore a years free insurance with premiums being what they are these days. Perhaps when the Micra R hot hatch comes on stream, well be more inclined to think of Nissans cute supermini in serious performance hatch terms but in the meantime, the XS provides some of that style with much less of the expense.
The only thing the Micra XS really does to excess is offer good sensible value, perfect for the boy or girl racer on a budget.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Nissan Micra XS Special Edition
PRICES: £8,795-£10,095 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 2E
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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