Nissan Micra CVT 2013 & Hyundai i10 Automatic Test Drive

[rafian]

We do know that the GC is on the lesser side. I really don't know how much it would hit the car. Today I called the Nissan salesperson to ask him if I could upgrade the tires (one size up). Perhaps that would increase the GC and also provide even better ride quality. He said that he would check with the technical guys and get back to me.

Spoke to a Nissan staff who informed me that we could upgrade the tires up to 195. It comes with Maxxis tires (175/60 R15). He insisted that I should avoid changing the tires and thus save money. The stock tires are supposedly very good. If we exchange the tires we would get Rs.2500 per tire. The Yokohomas would cost around Rs.6500-7000 per tire.

He also mentioned that he has driven the new Micra a lot and GC is not a problem at all. My friend who drives a 2012 Nissan Micra diesel (all over the city daily) also had the same thing to say.

 

[coolride]

Hi All,

Thanks for the nice discussion. Am also planning on an AT hatchback. I guess Honda Brio AT is the benchmark in this segment, isn't it? How does the Micra CVT compared to the Brio AT?
I get to hear about the dull ride on the Micra CVT, and the ground clearance. The ground clearance could be a real deal breaker considering the roads in Bangalore. Its low; only 155mm compared to Brio's 165mm and A-Star's 170mm.
Brio seems a bit overpriced for the feature list for the price point (agreed its an amazing engine).

Cheers!

 

[rafian]

Hi All,

Thanks for the nice discussion. Am also planning on an AT hatchback. I guess Honda Brio AT is the benchmark in this segment, isn't it? How does the Micra CVT compared to the Brio AT?
I get to hear about the dull ride on the Micra CVT, and the ground clearance. The ground clearance could be a real deal breaker considering the roads in Bangalore. Its low; only 155mm compared to Brio's 165mm and A-Star's 170mm.
Brio seems a bit overpriced for the feature list for the price point (agreed its an amazing engine).

Cheers!

In my wide friend circle nobody likes Brio (except a female who opted for it due to its size). It's a toy car.
I feel it was never designed to be a complete car. Just check how the defogger and wiper kit is installed on the rear shopping window. Totally an after thought. Back windows do not roll down fully. Reminds me of the old Fiat car. If you really like the technical aspects of Honda Brio then try buying Honda Amaze. In fact I am planning to take a test drive of Amaze AT tomorrow. You will get all the good things of Brio + a real car like design/structure.

I would expect more from a company like Honda. I think we tend to settle for less if it's a brand name without having a deeper understanding of the product offering. I am not sure if we would've liked Brio if it had been rolled out by Maruti (perhaps for a cheaper price).

Do TD Amaze AT, Micra CVT, i10 AT, A-Star AT and then decide.

I went on a long ride on the A-Star AT today with 4 adults including me (didn't get a chance to drive). Overall I was impressed with the car. The car seems tough. Takes bad roads and bumps quite well (you get this tough car feeling). I am 6.2 and didn't have an issue sitting on the second row. Found the A/c very powerful. It blows on your face even if you're sitting on the second row.

 

[rafian]

Talked to a knowledgeable accessories guy at Nissan today. This guy seemed pretty honest. I asked him about installing fog lamps, rear parking sensors, etc., He discouraged me from installing any accessories. He said that this is a car truly of international class. This has everything that you actually need. We don't want to make money by selling stuff that customers don't need. He convinced me that I don't need fog lamps, he also convinced that I won't need rear parking sensors because the visibility is very good. Nissan supposedly decided to offer all that is actually needed + stuff that will add to the comfort.

I brought up the tire upgrade question and he flatly discouraged me of even thinking of upgrading the tires. He suggested that I should drive the car for at least 30K km and then think of replacing the tires. He said that Maxxis is a high quality tire and best suited for this car - the width and height are all good enough.

I took the liberty to ask him about the quality of Micra and also potential issues that he might have heard of thru his contacts at the service center. He confidently told me that the car is of very high quality and there are no known issues whatsoever. He added that the Micra CVT is the same as the one used in Sunny - and Sunny CVT is a reliable and proven workhorse. He kinda challenged me to do research and find out about problems in Nissan cars (in India).

 

[coolride]

Amaze is a compact sedan, and IMHO Honda designers have done a great job with the exterior design within their 4m constraints. But, the interiors have not changed when the segment moved up from a hatchback to a (compact) sedan, no automatic climate control yet. Also, Honda charges quite a premium for just the addition of a boot to the Brio. The points in favour of Amaze is the excellent engine and transmission. If one is looking for this, then Amaze is the car, especially if Diesel. Just my thought...
But if I am on the lookout for a hatch AT, and the Brio does not totally please, then VW POLO TSI seems to be a better buy. Its fun to drive and technically up-to-date in its segment. What holds back is the VW service rates.

The A-Star seems the best VFM and closer competition to Brio in terms of price vs features. It addtionally has split rear seats to make up for the small boot space. It misses the alloys but this can be fit outside. Defogger is missing etc etc. But the biggest down for me is the safety feature w.r.t. Airbags. How I wish Maruti got their ATs in their Zxi trim too. They seem to fail to understand that an AT buyer may not be totally cost conscious, and may pay up for additional features. Atleast for their scale, they can afford the logistics to have AT in both Vxi and Zxi trim and let the customers decide (just like Hyundai i10 AT)

Am actually keen on the Micra CVT and deferred the decision till Micra CVT launched. Its such a totally loaded car, ticks all needed gizmos. But, if the power and the ground clearance are questionable, it raises doubts on the decision making...

 

[Releesh]

I would expect more from a company like Honda. I think we tend to settle for less if it's a brand name without having a deeper understanding of the product offering. I am not sure if we would've liked Brio if it had been rolled out by Maruti (perhaps for a cheaper price).

Do TD Amaze AT, Micra CVT, i10 AT, A-Star AT and then decide.
.

+100 to your thoughts on Brio. people buying these car because of 2 things Brand name and the proven engine.

A star has cramped backseats and almost nil luggage space.I can't sit properly in back seat. My head will touch the roof and not enough leg room too. My height is 5.10'. My friend has a AStar Vxi MT. I feel Maruti does not gives anything for the price and i feel it is bare born. Once i really struggled to drive in ghat section(Munnar) with 3 people. I cant feel the clutch & accelerator. either it'll not move or tire start to slip.

 

[rafian]

Sharing a link that has more info on transmission types (more on CVT):
THE WEIRD POWERTRAINS: OVERDRIVE AND CVT | AutoTalk Kenya Car Reviews, Articles, Webcasts, Cars

 

[rafian]

Am actually keen on the Micra CVT and deferred the decision till Micra CVT launched. Its such a totally loaded car, ticks all needed gizmos. But, if the power and the ground clearance are questionable, it raises doubts on the decision making...

Take a test drive of Micra CVT, drive it over bumps and steep inclines (with 4 adults). Do a high speed test. I am not convinced that it is less power packed than other cars in that segment. In my experience I've often found the specs to be just specs on paper and not necessarily directly tied to practical performance of a car. Unless we experience the issue we can't tell.

Recently when I drove my old Santro AT with 5 people and overloaded with luggage thru a shortcut (36 hair pin bend turns) to Ooty, I was convinced that specs only tell you half the story. Santro AT pulled with ease.

 

[coolride]

Take a test drive of Micra CVT, drive it over bumps and steep inclines (with 4 adults). Do a high speed test. I am not convinced that it is less power packed than other cars in that segment.

Check out this review on the Nissan Sunny CVT http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/automobiles/autoreviews/the-mouse-that-roars.html?_r=1&
The Micra CVT's drive has also been getting similar feedback, sadly...

 

[rafian]

Check out this review on the Nissan Sunny CVT http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/automobiles/autoreviews/the-mouse-that-roars.html?_r=1&
The Micra CVT's drive has also been getting similar feedback, sadly...

I would not consider US based review for buying a car in India. The conditions are totally different. Even our Toyota Innova would not please the Americans.

To some extent reviews arising out of cities in Europe would probably have more things in common with our cities.

Again, my suggestion is do a TD and find out for yourself. I am trying to do the same.

 

[rakish]

Take a test drive of Micra CVT, drive it over bumps and steep inclines (with 4 adults). Do a high speed test..

This is exactly what I am also worried about. Can anyone of you do this and report it here for me?I am eagerly looking forward to this result than any sponsored test drives which never say anything straightforeward.

Am actually keen on the Micra CVT and deferred the decision till Micra CVT launched. Its such a totally loaded car, ticks all needed gizmos. But, if the power and the ground clearance are questionable, it raises doubts on the decision making...

Exactly, worried over the low ground clearance

 

[rafian]

Found an interesting video on Nissan's new Xtronic CVT:
2013 Nissan Altima XTRONIC CVT - YouTube

It's more of a promotional video, but does bring a bit of awareness about the new CVT vs the old one.

 

[rafian]

A friend of mine forwarded these links, thought I could share it here:

0-100 speed comparison of i10, Brio, Micra and City (all AT models)

Hyundai i10 Automatic takes almost 14 seconds according to this link:
Honda Brio Automatic vs. Hyundai i10 Automatic | CarFuel.in


Honda Brio AT takes almost 15 seconds according to this link:
Honda Brio Automatic vs. Hyundai i10 Automatic | CarFuel.in


Nissan Micra 1.2 CVT takes 13 seconds according to this video:
Micra/March K13 1.2CVT Stock 0-100km/h 13Sec./Gasohol E20.3GP - YouTube
Nissan Micra 1.2 CVT takes 14.5 seconds (with top speed of 161 km/hr) according to this spec sheet:
http://www.carfolio.com/specifications/models/car/?car=250327
Note: Both links pertain to 2011 model with older version of CVT - not the latest Xtronic


Honda City AT 2010 model
Honda city 0-100 KM/H - YouTube
11.5 seconds


I think the Brio could've been much faster with a 4 speed AT box. Same applies to Amaze.

According to Nissan new Xtronic CVT is faster than the previous version. We would've to wait and see.

 

[rafian]

Sharing more info for folks who might be wanting to know more about 2013 Micra CVT:

Took another test drive of the 2013 Nissan Micra CVT. Points noted:
- I bent down and took a look at the underside of the car to see if there are any protruding parts that would hit a big bump. Found nothing - all flat - very nicely done - all critical components are protected by metal sheets.
- Checked the spare tire in the boot. Boot has MRF spare 14" spare tyre on a normal black rim (not alloy)
- Discussed GC issue - GC is supposedly not an issue with the Micra CVT according to several sales and accessories people I talked to. One sales person whom I found quite knowledgeable said that the GC figure quoted in the brochure might be incorrect. It cannot be 154mm since it does not hit the bumps it should if it was that less. According to all the people I spoke to they consider the Micra's GC better than or equal to Brio's. Another point that was commonly heard is that the Micra's suspension does not press down with passengers inside unlike Figo's suspension that tends to presses down a lot. That could be the reason why it is doing fairly well compared to Figo and few other small cars.
- While driving I focused on steering control, brakes and most importantly pick-up (acceleration). I was quite impressed by the pick-up and I got a feeling that it is better than Brio AT, Amaze AT and i10. Also, the engine noise while flooring is much less than i10, Brio and Amaze.
- Besides the driver side door, the boot door also operates remotely - sensed by the RFID (remote key). There's a tiny button that you press and it unlocks the door if it senses the key close by. Basically this car has no key hole. It's completely remote driven by RFID. If you move the key out of the car the engine-start button won't work.
- Checked the sound system again, it sounds way better than Amaze/Brio.
- Found the A/c quiet and works as per the climate control setting.
- I thought that the rear seats split 40/60. But they don't. It's one piece that can be folded down if required.

Later through a friend's friend, got in touch with a guy who took delivery of Micra CVT few days ago. He's driven it 200km. His feedback was the car is awesome, but it's too soon to say much since I've driven only 200km. I specifically asked him how's the pick-up/acceleration and ride quality, his response was it's awesome, pick-up is the best thing about this car, it's great.

 

[rafian]

Dear TAI Members,
I was told by the Nissan dealership staff that Nissan Micra and Sunny have Clarion music systems in them. I have little knowledge about these brands. I request the ICE savvy TAI folks to throw some light on Clarion ICE system.
Thanks.