AFTER a classic Sunday drive around Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, I reflected on how satisfying it can be to have a car that looks and feels sporty yet delivers decent fuel economy.
The car I’d been enjoying was the Nissan Micra N-Sport – which had turned heads whether on Glasgow’s Great Western Road or pulled up in a layby in Glen Dochart, east of Crianlarich.
It does look good, with a steeply raked front end, dynamic creases, sharp light clusters, 17in gloss black alloys, concealed rear door handles, rear privacy glass and roof spoiler.
The icing on the cake was the carbon-fibre-effect door mirror caps, the gloss black trim along the bottom of the doors and a chrome-finished tailpipe.
The sporty theme continues inside, with leather and Alcantara suede-effect seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, more suede-effect trim along the dash, a chunky, satin-silver trimmed gear knob, circular side air vents and sporty floor mats with go-faster white stripes that echoed a pattern on the seating.
A lowered suspension makes the ride feel sporty, too – giving the driver a more connected feeling to the road beneath, although it is never uncomfortable.
Meanwhile, the levels of grip – aided by some clever electronic dynamics and stability systems – made for an engaging drive along the winding sections of the A82, A85 and A84.
The gear throw is not as short as perhaps you might expect it to be from the appearance of the N-Sport but, if you work the box, you’ll get a good throttle response from the petrol engine. This is a 1.0-litre unit that develops 117PS and, because it is a three-pot, you can get some pleasing engine noise when you want.
And while the N-Sport is not a hot hatch, a top speed of 121mph and a 0-62mph sprint time of 9.9 seconds still means it cruises comfortably at motorway speeds and is capable of pretty decent overtaking manoeuvres.
Indeed, once I had wound my way past Loch Lubnaig, negotiated the busy streets of Callander and pushed on towards Stirling, the drive along the M9 and M80 was smooth and speedy.
But perhaps the best bit, for those on a budget, is the fuel economy stats. Officially, this Micra will average 47.9mpg under the new WLTP tests, which equates to 114g/km of CO2.
Yet during my time with it, which included the daily commute as well as my Loch Lomond drive, I managed to return 51 miles to the gallon – no doubt aided by the effective stop/start system that was great around town.
There’s a decent amount of kit on board, too, for a car that costs from £19,010 on the road, starting with the infotainment set-up. This consists of an informative five-inch TFT display in the instrument cluster and a seven-inch colour touchscreen in the centre console.
It features DAB radio, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, USB and Aux sockets, a rear view camera and rear parking sensors.
Driver aids include intelligent auto headlights with high beam assist, rain sensing wipers, cruise control and traffic sign recognition with speed limiter. There’s also a very easy-to-operate and effective manual air con system.
Safety features include various electronic braking aids that I found out do a good job when a biker shot out in front of me from a side lane during my country run, forcing me to hit the anchors sharply.
Added to the mix is lane departure warning with Nissan’s Intelligent Lane Intervention, which uses braking adjustments to keep you on the right lines.
There is good room for two adults up front, while the rear seats are best reserved for children, as is often the case with superminis. The boot, however, is a decent 300 litres, rising to 1004 with the 60/40 split rear seats folded.
All in all, I reckon the Micra N-Sport is going to appeal to those who want a bit of fun in their motoring without the full-on hot-hatch experience and associated costs.
Factfile:
- Model: Nissan Micra N-Sport
- Engine: 1.0-litre petrol
- Power: 117PS
- Top speed: 121mph
- 0-62mph: 9.9 seconds
- Average mpg: 47.9
- CO2 emissions: 114g/km
- Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles
- Price: £19,010
