Nissan marks five years of the Micra in India with two new variants

Nissan Motor India today launched a new variant of its Micra CVT Automatic hatchback as also a limited edition X-Shift model. 

The new XL variant, priced at Rs 6.4 lakh (ex-showroom New Delhi), is positioned below the top-of-the-line XV variant. The automatic gearbox was previously offered only on the XV petrol trim, which was a trim lower than Micra’s top XV Premium variant and priced at Rs 7.05 lakh.

Speaking at the launch in Mumbai, Guillaume Sicard, president - Nissan India Operations, said: “The demand for automatic cars has risen to over 3.5% in the last two years from less than 1% in FY12. Nissan is a pioneer when it comes to Xtronic CVT technology and with the introduction of the XL grade in our CVT range, we aim to make this technology more accessible to our buyers.”  

The Japanese carmaker’s fourth-generation Xtronic CVT automatic gearbox is mated to the Micra’s 1.2-litre petrol engine and is claimed to deliver an ARAI-certified fuel efficiency of 19.34kpl. New features include a new steering wheel borrowed from the Sunny sedan, a stylish black roof, glossy black finish for the audio console, driver armrest and illuminated door sills among others. The car also gets side stickers, along with an ‘X Shift’ sticker on the front passenger side. On the safety front, the car gets EBD, ABS and four airbags as standard. 

By introducing the Micra base variant with a CVT gearbox, Nissan Motor India is hoping to attract customers who are solely looking for the convenience of an automatic gearbox without the frills of a higher-priced variant.

According to Arun Malhotra, managing director, Nissan Motor India, unlike earlier times, the India market is now ready for automatic transmission-equipped cars. This is thanks to the introduction of automated manual transmission (AMT) technology which offers users an automatic-like driving experience. Nissan expects that the Micra CVT's claimed fuel efficiency figure of 19.34kpl will allay consumers' fear of high fuel consumption usually associated with automatics.

The carmaker also launched a new limited edition Micra X-Shift, which is based on the XL variant. Limited to a production run of 750 units, it is to celebrate the Micra’s fifth anniversary in India.

"Last year, the Micra was the most exported car model in India. If it is so popular in export markets, there is no reason why it cannot do well (here). So we added some style and fun elements, highlighting the CVT and priced at this level taking advantage of the economies of scale so that it becomes more affordable," says Malhotra. The X-Shift is cheaper by over Rs 60,000 than the existing CVT variant of the Micra. 

Over the past two fiscal years, Nissan Motor India has exported 154,503 Micras - 78,383 units in FY2013-14 and 76,120 units in FY2014-15. In the April-May 2015 period, 11,790 Micras have been shipped overseas.  

The Micra’s sales in the domestic market, contrary to the carmaker’s expectations, have not taken off (see India sales table below). Since  July 2010, when Nissan began production of the car – its first locally manufactured product – at its Oragadam plant in Chennai, the company has sold a cumulative 65,275 units in the domestic market till end-June 2015. This comprises 35,085 petrol variants and 30,190 diesel variants. Sales peaked in the second year (July 2011-12), when the Micra sold a total of 18,042 units. In the past 12 months, sales have dropped to 7,167 units. 

With the new introduction, Nissan expects to tap a larger number of younger customers in India and change the Micra’s fortunes. "For us, it is an opportunity to bring the model up front," says Malhotra.