The new Nissan Micra is expected to outperform the sales of its predecessor when it hits the European market later this year.
Speaking to AutoNews, Paul Wilcox, Nissan Europe’s chief said that the new Micra will achieve higher sales thanks to its larger size and wider range of engines. “The car will be positioned right in the heartland. We will sell more than current Micra”, he added during a press event at Nissan’s Sunderland factory.
Although Wilcox didn’t specify which engines are going to be used for the next Micra, we expect Nissan to use the turbocharged 115ps 1.2 DIG petrol engine and the 110ps 1.5-litre diesel unit, found in other models of their range.
The new Micra will be produced in Renault’s factory in Flins, France instead of Chennai, India where the current generation is being built, with Renault adding an annual capacity of 82,000 units for it.
Nissan’s new city car will be based upon a hybrid platform which will use some elements of Renault-Nissan’s new CMF-A platform. The first model to use the brand new platform in its entirety will be the next Nissan Juke, scheduled for production in 2018.
The new Nissan Micra is expected to be a visually more appealing car than its predecessor, using elements from the sport Sway concept which was shown at last year’s Geneva Motor Show.
Note: Nissan Sway Concept pictured