Nissan unveils facelifted Micra city car

Nissan has lifted the veil off of the updated version of the Micra city car, its bread-and-butter model in many European countries.

Up front, the Micra gets a thorough makeover that includes an aggressive grille with a U-shaped piece of trim, stylized headlights and creased fenders.  More discreet, the changes to the back end are largely limited to redrawn tail lamps and a revamped bumper.  New 15- and 16-inch alloy wheels and two additional exterior colors finish off the look.

The Micra's dashboard stays largely unchanged but it gains a revised center console that includes a 5.8-inch touch screen for the car's navigation and audio functions as well as two rectangular air vents.  An auxiliary input comes standard, and well-equipped versions offer Google's Send-To-Car technology.

Entry-level Micras are powered by a 1.2-liter three-cylinder gasoline-burning engine that sends 80 horsepower to the front wheels via either a five-speed manual transmission or an optional CVT.  A 98-horsepower version of the engine that is both supercharged and direct-injected is available at an extra cost, and, surprisingly, a diesel-burning mill is still not offered.

The facelifted Micra will go on sale throughout Europe and Asia (where it is known as the March) in a couple of weeks.  Pricing information will be released closer to its launch.

Although the supermini segment is becoming more densely populated in the United States, Nissan is not planning on shipping the Micra across the Atlantic anytime soon.