Nissan Micra Review - Exteriors & Styling

The styling of the last generation Nissan Micra can best be described as 'girly'. There is no offense in a car looking feminist, but when a manufacturer is aiming to sell the car in 160 markets worldwide, it can't offer a car that only the fairer sex would like to be seen in one. That is the main reason why Nissan has made the fourth generation Micra’s styling appeal to both the sexes.

At first glance, the front of the car is bold. Not the sharp, edgy kind of bold, but a unique, subtle, soft refreshing kind of bold.

The soft curves on the front give a very pleasing look to the Micra. The narrow ‘grille’ of the car somewhat gives it its cheerful character. Only the top end variant XV gets a horizontal chrome lining cutting across the grille. The Nissan badge sits proudly above the grille.

The side profile of the new Micra looks very similar to the old gen Micra except for the rear end of the roof, which doesn’t slope down but extends a bit and rises gently and then falls, which results in an integrated rear spoiler. The 14 inch wheels fill the wheel wells sufficiently and there wouldn’t be a necessity to beef up the tyres to make the car look better.

The roof of the car features a unique boomerang styled ridge which is more of a technical addition than a cosmetic feature. This boomerang shaped ridge increases the stiffness of the roof and this makes the Micra's roof lighter and stiffer.

The rear of the Micra is our pick for the best angle. All the mixed feelings about the car’s curvy looks vanish. The small and rounded tail lamps are complemented well by a prominent ridge (which looks like eyebrows) extending into the boot lid, which reminds us of the Toyota Etios' rear.

The top end XV is the only variant to get body colored handles and exterior rear view mirrors while the base XE and Mid XL get black handles and mirror casing. The XL and XV variants come with rear wiper with wash.

Final word

The Nissan Micra isn’t a sporty looking car nor would it capture people’s undivided attention, but it clearly would stand out from the crowd. The Micra’s smart looks are very understated and subtle and the car looks cheerful.

It is the kind of car that can be linked to human emotions and expressions. This car would really make you feel good as you look at it. The car is a very good looking car and in our opinion, the best colour for the Nissan Micra is ‘Brick Red’ (the one which we test drove). This colour perfectly complements the cheerful looks of the car.

We don't see a point in Nissan bringing out a "sport" or "race" version of this car with racing stripes, decals or alloys. That would be like teaching a poodle how to attack fleeing inmates. The Micra cannot be aggressive, and it should never be taught either. It should remain a simple city dweller's vehicle that gets people from point A to B.

Nissan Micra Exterior Image Slideshow

can't see the image gallery above? Visit the Nissan Micra exterior image gallery to see the images