Johannesburg - Nissan has issued a rather cryptic press release about a new version of its Micra called the Active, which it plans to launch in South Africa on September 22.
While Nissan’s all-new Clio-based Micra is what would immediately spring to mind, a teaser pic released by Nissan reveals that the newcomer is actually a facelifted version of the current Indian-built Micra.
The upside, however, is that the newcomer promises “great value for money” and "low running costs", according to Nissan, although pricing has not yet been released. In India, the Micra Active undercuts rivals like the Toyota Etios and Suzuki Swift, although it is still (and logically so) more expensive than the Datsun Go.
The Micra Active is powered by the familiar 1.2-litre three-cylinder normally aspirated engine, which produces 56kW and 104Nm.
While local specification levels have yet to be confirmed, our contact at Nissan SA confirmed that SA models will be fitted with dual front airbags (whereas Indian models only offer a driver’s airbag). Furthermore, Nissan SA’s press release states that it will come standard with a three-year/90 000km service plan and six-year/150 000km warranty.
The Micra Active also sports an updated interior design.
Yet where does the ‘Active’ leave the all-new (and very pretty we must add), Clio-based Micra that’s built in France? Yes, the one pictured below:
Although no exact on-sale dates have been disclosed as yet, Nissan SA is planning to launch it in 2018, and the funky looking newcomer will most certainly be positioned at a much higher level than the Indian-built Micra Active. If anything the latter is more likely to step on Datsun’s toes...