Nissan Micra Diesel 2020 Review: Prices, Features, Specs, offers and variants

What are the various 2020 Nissan Micra Diesel variants available?

The 2020 Nissan Micra Diesel is offered in only two variants which range from Rs. 7.43 lakhs to Rs. 8.12 lakhs. While the base variant gets a decent set of features, the XV variant doesn’t add much to justify the price difference. But, the Micra still does get some modern amenities you come to expect from a new hatchback in 2020.

The top variant mostly gets aesthetic updates which helps differentiate it from the base one. Safety also gets a bump in the XV variant and Nissan Connect is a great initiative that lets you be connected with the concerned authorities in case of an emergency and also amplify creature comfort.

Which variant should you opt for?

The Nissan Micra gets quite a lot of features in its base XV(O) variant, and if you’re seriously considering getting a Micra, this variant is your best bet. The XV does add a touchscreen system, but this system is extremely laggy and feels like an aftermarket system. If you want a touchscreen system, you can get it done by yourself from the aftermarket for much less.

However, the Micra misses out on ABS and EBD in its base variant, which is a massive oversight since it is a very important safety feature that is offered as standard in vehicles that cost a third of what the Micra demands for its base variant.

Nissan Micra Discount offers(April)

Nissan is offering huge discounts on the Micra and the offer is valid for all variants both petrol and diesel. The same along with added benefits can be availed for any remaining BS4 stock as well.

Also Read,

How does this peppy diesel take on the best selling diesel hatchback?

Has the Micra aged bad or is the Elite i20 that good?

What are the characteristics of this tired and tested diesel powerhouse?

The 1.5-litre diesel unit powering the Micra has been around for quite some time and was also seen on the Mahindra-Renault Logan when it was launched in 2009. This engine has been known to be reliable since it is capable of running quite a distance before needing any kind of major maintenance. While its low power output and sluggish nature makes it a chore to drive on highways, it feels right at home in the city, since its midrange is really strong.

While most manufacturers are investing quite a lot of money to upgrade their diesel engines to meet BS6 standards, the 1.5 litre unit on the Micra will not be upgraded and is slated to be shelved soon. The market has seen a shift towards petrol vehicles, and Nissan has decided to only keep a petrol version of the Micra after April 2020. They might also be introducing a hybrid powertrain soon, which might make its way into the Micra.

How peppy is the diesel Micra from 0-100?

The 2020 Nissan Micra diesel is the slowest diesel hatchback you can get in India. While most diesel hatchbacks are capable of finishing the 0-100 run in12-13 seconds, the Micra’s lazy and antiquated engine takes a leisurely 14 seconds to finish the same.

This is mostly because the Micra’s underpowered engine has been further tuned to optimise efficiency, rather than focus on speed. Its taller gearing and weak low end are also major factors that further contribute to making the Micra feel excessively lethargic.

Having the largest engine doesn't always do good in terms of performance figures and the diesel Micra is a testimony. Both its competitors have smaller engines but, larger athletic spirit and is also much involving to drive.

How good are the handling characteristics of the 2020 Micra?

Nissan’s Micra has always been geared towards comfort, rather than sportiness, and the 2020 Micra diesel doesn’t differ in this department. The Micra rides over bumps and potholes without any drama and the pliant suspension prevents large bumps from unsettling the cabin. But, over smooth roads, the Micra’s suspension tends to allow vibrations and minor road imperfections into the cabin, which might cause the driver to tire out after a certain period.

Corners are no issue for the Micra though, since it goes through most corners like a dream, without any kind of body roll. The Micra even stays planted on the road, even at higher speeds, which is impressive for a vehicle this size.

How does this peppy little diesel Nissan handle those STOPS?

The Nissan Micra Diesel gets a disc and drum setup like most other hatchbacks in the Indian market. But, while most other automakers have started offering ABS and EBD as standard fitment, the Nissan Micra’s base XL(O) weirdly misses out on this crucial safety feature. This impacts stopping time and brakes feel great since the Micra without the ABS and EBD might skid before coming to a stop during emergency braking scenarios!

The Micra’s brake pedal is also very inconsistent since it takes quite some time before you get to the actual braking point of the pedal. The ABS-equipped version does get a more linear-feeling brake pedal, but even this version feels rough and poorly calibrated since the brakes don’t give that reassuring feeling when you’re trying to bring your vehicle to a complete stop.

All of the cars in this segment are equipped with a disc-drum combination which is a part of cost-cutting methods without cutting done on braking performance. But kerb weight plays an important role in the braking department and Maruti Suzuki Baleno aces it because of its lightweight construction.

How well does the diesel Micra handle the efficiency bit?

The Nissan Micra Diesel gets a decent fuel economy figure, but it pales in comparison when compared to the Baleno. However, real-world figures for all three cars are quite close to each other, and the difference is very subtle. The i20 is the heaviest vehicle here, which does greatly impact its overall economy and range, even if it gets a decent sized fuel tank. The Micra gets the largest fuel tank, and with a claimed range of over 950 kilometres, it's a decent vehicle to use in the city, since monthly fuel bills are going to be average for the segment.

Hyundai Elite i20 will be the most expensive vehicle to own here, but it makes up for it by offering an expansive feature set, and great build quality for the price. The Baleno on the other hand, sacrifices to build quality and weight, to boost its mileage and range, which makes it the most economical vehicle to own here. The Micra lands up somewhere in the middle, with a decent fuel economy figure, a relatively decent range, and average running costs.

How well-proportioned does the Nissan Micra look?

The 2020 Nissan Micra Diesel got its last facelift way back in 2013, after which its basic design has remained the same. It measures in at an overall length of 3825 mm which is over 100 mm smaller than its nearest competitor. This difference also reflects in the overall space on offer in its interiors, since the Micra feels significantly smaller. Its width is also on the lower side for the segment, which makes it difficult to fit three full-sized adults across the rear seat. However, its relatively tall stance does open up some headroom for rear occupants. Ground clearance is on the lower side though, especially when equipped with the smaller 14-inch wheels on the base variant.

As standard, the Micra gets 14-inch steel wheels, which look extremely small and does not go along well with the Micra’s overall design. The larger 15-inch steel wheels do help uplift the Micra’s overall design, but the lack of alloy wheels severely hurts its case in the light of more modern competitors. The Micra’s facelift did bring along sharper lines, but it still does retain the Micra’s overall curvy and roundish design, which looks dated by today’s standards.

Overall, the Micra is not offensive to look at but doesn’t feature any kind of design flair to help it stand out in its segment. However, its small dimensions and low ground clearance might cause a problem in a city with bad roads or a large number of speed breakers.

Exterior Features

• LED taillights
• Halogen dual-barrel headlights
• 14-inch steel wheels are standard while the XV trim upgrades them to 15-inch steel wheels with a wheel cover
• Turn indicators on exterior mirrors on the XV trim
• Body cladding on the wheel arches

How spacious is the cabin of 2020 Nissan Micra?

The 2020 Nissan Micra Diesel is a five-seater hatchback but isn’t as spacious as its competitors. While it does feel spacious enough in isolation, there are vehicles with way more interior space at this price point. The dashboard follows a roundish theme with circle highlights throughout the dashboard. Plastic quality is on the lower side since the plastic used feels cheap to the touch and will get scratches over time. 

The seats feature cloth upholstery as standard and offer decent levels of comfort without being too firm. The front seats also feature manual reach and height adjustment, along with lumbar support for the driver, which helps in enhancing comfort over long drives. The rear seats feature two fixed headrests as standard, which essentially makes it a four-seater. The Micra’s narrow width also restricts space for the middle passenger, who also loses out on quite a lot of legroom thanks to the high central tunnel. The side seats do offer a decent amount of legroom, although, if a tall person is seated upfront, it does significantly eat into rear legroom. 

The rear bench is also mounted quite low, which not only makes it difficult for older people to climb in but also restricts the amount of under-thigh support on offer. Ride quality is quite good though for a hatchback this small, since there’s barely any vertical movement, even at higher speeds. But noise isolation is not up to the mark for a hatchback at this price point, although the wind and tire noise is masked by the loud diesel clatter made by the diesel engine. Overall, the Micra doesn’t feel as solidly built as its competitors, and its cheap and average interiors do not go out of the way to make it feel like a value-for-money vehicle in its segment.

Interior Features

•  Grey interior trim with grey fabric upholstered seats
• Single zone climate control in the XV variant
• Power windows for all doors
• Standard centre armrest for the driver
• Fixed rear headrests
• Chrome-lined door handles

What are the various infotainment features on offer?

The Nissan Micra Diesel can be had with a standard 2-din music system on the XL(O) variant or a 6.2-inch touchscreen on the range-topping XV variant. The Micra also gets steering mounted controls on both variants, which can be used to control either of the infotainment systems on offer. Both variants get four speakers, which sounds average for the class.

The touchscreen system adds Nissan Connect which can be used to set a geofence, track the vehicle’s movements and driving patterns and check the vehicle’s vitals before entering the car. However, the touchscreen looks very dated and doesn’t fit in flush on the dashboard. The touchscreen is also very slow to respond to commands and the basic navigation system on offer is almost useless since it takes too long to calculate the route. The following are the highlights of the infotainment systems on offer:

Infotainment Features

• Steering mounted audio controls
• A two-din music system on the XL(O) variant
• A 6.2-inch touchscreen on the XV variant with built-in navigation and Nissan Connect
• Bluetooth
• One USB and AUX port in the glovebox
• A CD player
• Four speakers

How much cargo can the boot take in?

The Nissan Micra gets a tiny 251-litre boot, which is even smaller than the boot found in cheaper cars like the Kwid. This boot gets an extremely deep boot floor, which does help it achieve its rating, but also makes it quite difficult to lift heavier items into the boot.

The boot also lacks tether hooks and doesn’t feature an adjustable boot floor, which further decreases its practicality score. The rear seat bench does fold down, but there’s no split arrangement available for it, thus further limiting practicality.

The Micra is still usable as a daily driver that can be used to carry your shopping but don’t expect it to carry more than two suitcases at once without requiring one to fold the rear row down which for the record, the Baleno can do with ease.

What are the safety features on offer in the Nissan Micra?

The 2020 Nissan Micra Diesel was sold globally until 2016, after which there was a new model introduced globally. However, India is yet to receive an update in this regard. The Micra was crash-tested by the Latin NCAP in 2018, where it received an abysmal score of 1 star, even when it was equipped with dual front airbags. The frontal overlap test concluded that the structure was unstable, and the injuries sustained by the driver and co-passenger could turn out to be lethal.

The side impact test also returned poor results, since the structure wasn’t capable of absorbing the energy from the crash and dissipating it to other parts of the vehicle. But, in terms of child safety, Micra scored a respectable 3-star rating, which mostly because the model tested had ISOFIX child seat anchors, which helped in keeping the child seat fixed in place. The Micra gets a 2 year/50,000 km warranty, which is below average and very disappointing when compared to the industry standard of 3 years/60,000 km.

How does the 2020 Micra compare to its modern competitors?

Nissan Micra Diesel vs Hyundai Elite i20 Diesel

The Hyundai Elite i20 is Hyundai’s best selling hatchback and sells nearly 20 times as many units as Nissan manages to sell Micras in a month. Not only does the Elite i20 Diesel range start at a lower price point, but the Elite i20 also gets quite a lot more features as standard from the base variant itself. Sure, the Micra gets a basic music system on its base variant, but the Elite i20’s base Era variant gets ABS with EBD, better quality interior materials, a more premium instrument cluster, rear AC vents and better seat cushioning; all while being over a lakh cheaper than the Micra’s base variant.

The Micra base variant is more in line with the Magna Plus variant of the i20, which gets an air purifier, a much better music system, larger 15-inch wheels, and better seat upholstery. The Micra’s boot is marginally smaller than the i20’s, but the i20’s boot opening is much wider, which makes it an easier vehicle to load when it comes to large and heavy items.

Nissan Micra Diesel vs Maruti Suzuki Baleno Diesel 

Maruti Suzuki Baleno Diesel regularly features among the top five selling vehicles in India, and there is little wonder why. Not only is the Baleno packed to the gills with features, but it also gets specific features that are not available on any of its competitors. While the Baleno’s base variant looks very dull, it still does look much fresher than the Micra’s dated and boring design. Stepping up one variant upgrades the car’s looks by a great deal, something that the Micra doesn’t do well.

The Micra’s touchscreen is also way more clunkier than the unit on the Baleno, which is slick and smooth to use. While the Baleno’s build quality is not as good as the i20, it still does manage to edge the Micra in terms of safety, since the Baleno has earned a three-star rating, when compared to the Micra’s one-star rating. The final nail in the coffin for the Micra is the fact that not only is the Baleno cheaper to purchase, it is also a much cheaper vehicle to maintain and Maruti’s after-sales service is the best in the country.

Is the Nissan Micra Diesel still worth a buy?

Nissan Micra Diesel might have been a good car back in the day, but ever since then, it's not had any major updates. While the Micra remained essentially the same for 14 years, its competitors have moved on far ahead, making the Micra look like a dinosaur amongst new-age alternatives. The Micra tried playing catch-up with a facelift and then the addition of a touchscreen, but these updates were implemented in a very shoddy fashion, which didn’t help increase sales numbers at all. Nissan has also priced the Micra way above its competition and its lack of equipment even at that price point hurt its prospects.

While Nissan is trying to attract fleet buyers with attractive discounts, we’d say its too little too late for a car that had the potential to rule the Indian automotive industry had it been updated properly. The only thing going in the Micra’s favour is its reliability and good ride quality, which makes it a decent daily runabout. But, if you’re looking for a value-for-money product, we’d suggest opting for its rivals which offer much better build quality and a more expansive feature list, without being as overpriced as the Micra.