A review, generations and evolution of the Nissan March/Micra

  The Nissan March, also known as the Micra, made its debut in 1982. It came in as a replacement for the Nissan Cherry, as it has already successfully grown after every generation.  Nissan March as to date, has had 6 generations and 23 modifications. The 6th generation comprises fully electric cars. Below is the history and generation of the Nissan March/Micra.

First Generation;k10

  The first generation of this unit ran from the year 1982 to 1992. It came to challenge the Toyota Starlet, Honda City, Daihatsu Charade, and Suzuki Cultus. Its original chassis name was K10 in the Japanese market. In the European market, it was known as Micra. It had a small engine of 1000cc, which gave it an advantage of low fuel consumption and high gearing from the specially manufactured engine for the Nissan March/Micra. Originally, the body style of the Micra was meant for the Fiat 127. Micra was developed during Nissan's efforts to rebrand and phase out Datsun. As a result, the name Datsun was used in some modifications of the Micra. In the European market, the car was known as the Datsun Nissan Micra. In this generation, it was available either in a 4 or 5-speed automatic transmission known as Nissanmatic. In the year 1983, it is interesting to note that the Nissan Micra competed with the Peugeot 205 and Ford Fiesta. Body styles have always been either 3 or 5 doors. The layout is front-engine and Front Wheel Drive.

Nissan Micra 1982

      The mid-model refresh of the 1st generation was the European Super S trim, Nissan Sentra Classic, and the Super Turbo. Interestingly, the Super Turbo holds the record to date of the fastest Micra/March built. It featured a supercharger and a turbocharger. It had an aluminum straight 4 930cc engine that produced 108 HP at 6400 RPM. The engine was available either in a 3-gear automatic transmission or a 5-gear manual transmission with a viscous, limited-slip differential. These units were limited and were produced in only 10,000 units.

Second Generation;k11

  This generation was built in the UK, Japan, and Taiwan. In Japan was launched in January 1992 and later on in Europe in the last quarter of 1992. It came in two variants of 1000cc and 1300cc engines. This generation had several modifications, which were basically the redesigning of the headlights and the grille. The Continuous Variable Transmission option was introduced in this generation. Other options were the four-speed automatic transmission. K11C was one of the modified units in the year 1997. These modifications continued up to 2002.

 NISSAN March Bolero

  A luxury model of the Nissan March was introduced as one of the modifications in the second generation from October 1997 to the year 2003. It featured a redesigned exterior with round lights and an upholstery interior, and a chrome grille. Bolero sold well in 1998, and Nissan introduced the Rumba. This was a more luxurious class of the Bolero. Later on, another trim known as Super S was introduced.

Third Generation;k12

  The next version of K12 was introduced at the Paris Motor Show in the year 2002. It featured a more styled and improved design. The body length was increased, and the roof height was increased. This gave it a new look. It was in this version that keyless ignition was also invented or implemented in the Nissan March. The headlights also extended into the wings/fenders of this car. The range of engines improved, and there was a 1.2L and 1.4L petrol engine. They also outsourced the Renault 1.5L diesel engine. CVT transmission in the previous models was replaced by a conventional automatic transmission. 

First Facelift of Micra K12

 This car went through various modifications before the next generation was produced. 

Between the year 2002 to 2007, there were many modifications, including the 3-door and 5-door cars. There was a facelift from Japan and a second one, too, which redesigned many features of the car. In September 2002, the Nissan March Rafeet was introduced with a 4WD drive system. Later in 2003, the Nissan Micra R was introduced as a display at the Geneva Motor Show. This car had no engine or gear. Later on, Nissan commissioned Ray Mallock Ltd to mount the Primera  QG20DE for show and press demonstration purposes. In 2005, Nissan UK replaced the Primera engine with a VQ35DE from the 350Z, paired with a modified Altima SE-R gearbox to enhance road usability. This model, designated as the 350SR, was not made available for sale. It was included in EVO magazine's "fast fleet" for a period, where it became popular among the publication's writers.

Fourth Generation;k13

  The 4th generation of the Nissan Micra was unveiled on 1st October 2009. The first display of this car was done at the 80th Geneva International Motor Show. It is sold in 160 countries, including Thailand, India, Europe, and Indonesia. Notably, this unit made no sales in America until the spring of 2014. It is based on the V platform with a new 1.2L engine that comprises 3 cylinders. Later on, towards the end of 2011, the supercharged version known as DIG-S was introduced in the European market. Other variants include the 1.5L and 1.6L engines for South America, Asia, and Australia markets. This car was made to be fuel efficient, and it was able to do 18Km/L. Introduction of the idling stop system improved fuel consumption with 2Km./L. Production of Micra commenced in India in May 2010 at the Renault Nissan India manufacturing plant. The engine variants of the K13 are 1.0-liter I3: This engine is commonly found in various markets, providing a balance of efficiency and performance.1.2-liter I4: Another popular option, offering slightly more power while still maintaining good fuel economy.  In 2010, a new V-platform featuring a fuel-efficient 1.2-liter inline-3 engine was developed too. 1.5-liter Diesel I4: Available in select regions, this engine provides better torque and fuel efficiency for diesel enthusiasts.

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2012 Nissan Micra 

  Micra did well in some of the various markets it was made for. Nisaan March was manufactured by Dongfeng Nissan in China in the year 2010, but stopped production in 2015 due to low sales. Nissan March did well in global sales, and by the end of 2011, it had surpassed six million units. Brazil also started the production of the Nissan Micra in September 2020. Nissan Motor Thailand later considered ending the manufacture of this unit after an 11-year production run. Consequently, Nissan discontinued sales of the Thai-imported March in Japan and shifted its focus to the Nissan Note and promotion of electrification across its model lineup.

  A facelift spec of the Micra was unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. It featured a redesign of the face of the car. The Nissn badge was extended in chrome and a V-shaped motif. A second facelift was done in 2021. It was an improvement of the previous feature on the first facelift, but now it has advanced technology like ABS, 5 seatbelts, 6 airbags, and EBD. 

  In December 2013, the Nissan March Nismo went on sale in Japan. The Nissan March includes a special exterior and interior design. This includes LED hyper daytime running lights, 16" aluminium wheels.

Nissan March Nismo S 1.5L

 Nismo S comes with an HR15DE 1.5L tuned engine to produce 114bhp, aided by a special tuning computer (ECM), exhaust system, and customised suspension(stabilizer) brake system, and quick steering gear ratio. The K13 Micra has a 5-speed manual transmission. The manual transmission uses up to 15% less fuel than the Xtronic CVT, depending on driving conditions and style of driving. It also has better durability and can support more horsepower and torque. It scored well in the test and scored 4 stars from a possible 5.

Fifth Generation;k14

  The Micra K14 was unveiled at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. It features all-new exterior and interior styles, but it is still manufactured on the same platform as its predecessor. This generation is only available in the European market and a few selected markets, which are South Africa, Turkey, New Zealand, and Morocco. By 2022, the Micra was no longer sold in South Africa, and plans to sell it in Latin America were scrapped since the unit would be too expensive.

  Currently, there are five core trims available from: Visia, Visia+, Acenta, N-Connecta, N-Sport, and Tekna. The Micra received an update on 28 January 2019, which introduced a new N-Sport trim. In November 2020, a further minor facelift of the Micra was revealed, showcasing the new N-Design trim.

2020 Nissan Micra Acenta

 This update included features such as hill start assist, Intelligent Ride Control, and Intelligent Trace Control. Selected versions were also equipped with systems from the Nissan Intelligent Mobility suite, which comprised high beam assist, Intelligent Lane Intervention, traffic sign recognition, and Intelligent Forward Emergency Braking with pedestrian detection.

Sixth Generation;k15

  The sixth generation of this Micra comes as a fully electric car. It's based on the AmpR platform shared with Renault 5 E-Tech and Renault 4 E-Tech. Micra EV was unveiled in May of 2025, alongside the third-generation Leaf. It is available with two powertrains: a front-mounted electric motor producing 90 kW (121 bhp) paired with a 40 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, offering 309 km (192 mi) range; and 110 kW (148 bhp) with a 52 kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery, providing up to 408 km (253 mi) range. The larger battery supports 100 kW DC fast charging (10–80% in 28 minutes).

Nissan Micra EV

  The Micra EV is available in three trims: Engage, Advance, and Evolve. Marketing strategies vary by region, focusing on local preferences and needs. In some markets, the Micra is positioned as a more premium offering compared to the March.