Nissan Micra SR 160

12:10pm Friday 25th April 2008

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DON'T LAUGH. The notion of a hot' Micra may strike you as vaguely hilarious but Nissan has high hopes for the SR 160.

That's SR as in street racer' - I kid you not!

Previous attempts at a sporty Micra have not met with great success.

Sales of the previous generation Micra Sport took off about as well as the Space Shuttle Challenger.

This version stands a better chance.

Don't be confused by the 160 badge, though. Sadly the SR does not have 160bhp lurking beneath your right foot. The figure merely relates to the engine's cubic capacity (1.6-litres), although it could just as easily refer to the Micra's carbon dioxide exhaust emissions (158 g/km CO2).

So what do you get? A not bad 109bhp in a fairly lightweight body held up with sporty suspension and riding on wider rubber.

The looks are fairly subtle. There are larger 16-inch alloy wheels, a lightly modified grille and bumper, dinky side skirts and a modest roof spoiler.

This is a good thing because it allows you to go about the business of having fun without attracting the attention of unwanted third parties, particularly third parties armed with speed guns and powers of arrest.

Once you're on board the changes to the cabin are similarly modest.

The pedals have been replaced with racing-style aluminium alloy items, the steering is a bit chunkier and trimmed with leather and there's a 140mph speedo.

The seats are comfortable but could do with more side grip.

There's an adjuster for extra lumbar support on the driver's side.

I had no trouble finding a comfortable driving position. The steering wheel has no reach adjustment but that didn't cause a problem.

There are wheel controls for the audio, speed limiter and a Bluetooth connection to your mobile phone.

Lots of thought has gone into making the small cabin as practical as possible. The glovebox is a decent size, and there are cup-holders galore and a secret drawer for small items.

Nissan also found room for its curry hook', a little plastic hook that folds out and holds those brown paper bags your favourite chicken tikka dish always comes in.

Every Micra features friendly lighting' which keeps the front lights on for a couple of minutes lighting the way to your front door (provided, that is, you park with the front of the car facing your house and not on the drive or in the garage). A battery save feature automatically turns off the interior light if it is inadvertently left on.

If you have an iPod or similar MP3 player then a small aux socket makes it possible to connect your music collection to the Micra's sound system.

The radio has decent reception and the CD sounds full bodied and not at all cheap.

Full marks to Nissan for sliding front seats that retain their position when they are moved to allow passengers in the back.

Honda please take note, if a Micra can do this then why doesn't the Civic?

The boot is a decent size and the rear seats fold down if you tug on a cord loop in the luggage area.

The rear seats can slide backwards by up to 200mm depending on whether you require leg room or boot space.

Performance is warm, rather than hot. A 9.8- second 0-62mph time is merely fair but the revvy four-cylinder engine responds crisply to the throttle and sounds sporty in a thrashy sort of way.

Still, the remarkable group six insurance rating should offer younger drivers some financial compensation for the lack of outright speed.

Interestingly, the handling modifications were carried out by the same team responsible for fettling the mighty 350Z for European roads.

Unsurprisingly, the first thing they did to the Micra was to cut down the ride height and whack up the roll stiffness by almost a third.

The springs are stiffer, too, and the rear twist beam suspension is 55 per cent more resistant to twisting. The Micra's steering has been tweaked to give more feel.

What this lot translates to on the road is a little car that goes rather like an old-school hothatchback.

There's no surfeit of horsepower so it's all about maintaining your momentum.

The tyres aren't that wide (a 185 section is what you'd find on a bog standard Ford Focus) and it's possible to feel the rears starting to slide, particularly if it's wet, despite the Micra's electronic stability control.

The chassis is wonderfully controllable, though. If the rears start to lose traction all that's needed is a light feathering of the throttle and they will obediently tuck back in again.

When I first saw the tiny drums fitted to the rear wheels I worried about the brakes' power, but on the road the Micra's stoppers are sharp and progressive.

The five-speed gearbox is a slick-shifter.

And unlike more expensive pocket-rockets, the engine isn't powerful enough to corrupt the power steering.

This SR was the most fun I've had in a small car for months.

The Micra proves that you don't need massive horsepower figures to enjoy a spirited drive on today's rigidly enforced roads. It's a fun package, more so because other drivers don't expect a Micra to perform so well.

It retains all the little practical touches that make the Micra a great supermini - the well designed cabin, the excellent economy and the ease of parking - and spices it up with a pokey engine and a sporty chassis.

Set aside your prejudices - the Micra SR is no joke, just lots of fun to drive.

SPECIFICATION

Engine: 1,598cc four cy petrol
Max bhp: 108 @ 6,000rpm
Max torque: 113 ft/lb at 4,400rpm
Top speed: 114mph
0-62mph: 9.8 seconds
Av fuel consumption: 32.5mpg
CO2 emissions: 158 g/km
Equipment: Electric front windows, air conditioning with climate control, alloy wheels with locking wheel nuts, power steering, CD player with aux socket.