Nissan Micra

The Nissan Micra is a bit of a looker in the world of small cars, and better still it’s even slightly less expensive than the likes of the big-selling Vauxhall Corsa.

The catwalk style continues in the cabin, which is truly eye-catching. But is it just all about the looks and “I want world peace,” or is there real substance behind the style?

All but basic Visia and Visia+ cars come with a slick 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.

Thankfully, the Nissan Micra’s cabin doesn’t just look good – all the switches feel solid and both the driver’s seat and sporty steering wheel come with loads of adjustment so you’ll have no trouble getting comfortable.

Unfortunately, you can’t have lumbar support (to help reduce backache on long drives) on any model and the Nissan Micra’s back seats are more cramped than those in most alternatives. There’s a reasonable amount of knee room but passengers over six-foot tall will struggle for headroom and the narrow central seat makes carrying three abreast very cosy indeed.

The Nissan Micra’s 300-litre boot is pretty practical, though. It’s a little bigger than the ones in a Corsa, Polo or Fiesta but its tall boot lip can make loading heavy items difficult. You don’t get any handy shopping hooks but you can fold the back seats down in a two-way (60:40) split if you need to carry long luggage and a back-seat passenger at once.

Two petrol engines are on offer, with either a five or six-speed manual, or CVT automatic gearbox. Pick the turbocharged 100hp 1.0-litre petrol if you mainly potter around town – it isn’t exactly quick, but it’s strong enough to feel nippy in town and is always smooth and quiet. In fact, it makes the more powerful 117hp 1.0-litre look a little unnecessary.

Visia

Visia+ simply adds manual air conditioning and stop-start to the Visia’s kit. That kit includes 15-inch steel wheels, electric mirrors, USB and aux connections, Bluetooth, automatic headlights and wipers, front electric windows, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and high beam assist

Acenta

On top of Visia+ equipment, the Acenta model gains 16-inch wheels, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, a 4-speaker stereo with DAB radio and cruise control.

N-Sport

The sportiest offering of the range. Comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, stiffer sports suspension, a different steering tune, chrome exhaust pipe, part leather sports seats, rear view camera, rear parking sensors and keyless entry and start. That’s on top of Accenta’s cruise control, multifunction steering wheel, traffic sign recognition and 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth, USB connection, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Then there’s electric mirrors, automatic headlights and wipers, front electric windows, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and high beam assist.

Tekna

Top-grade Tekna models get satnav with TomTom live traffic updates, BOSE stereo with headrest speakers, rear parking sensors and reversing camera, rear electric windows and a leather gearknob on top of Acenta equipment.

Engine available with 1L petrol