something special. We were told that
there would be a major announcement.
Curiosity got the better of many of
us, so we stuck around. Once made,
there was an audible intake of breath
from much of the audience—and a few
curses from others. Nissan Canada
announced that their new world car,
the 2015 Nissan Micra, which was to be
re-introduced in the spring, would be
available for a starting price of $9,998!
Less than $10K for a brand new car in
2014 and unique to Canada, no less. This
vehicle and all trim levels would not,
initially at any rate, be available south
of our border in 2014. Point of interest;
the lowest priced new car in the United
States happens to be the Nissan Versa
S at $11,900—and for the record, that’s
also $US.
Fast-forward to May when a group of
journos were invited by the manufacturer
to attend a pre-launch event in Montreal.
We were to experience driving this
urban mite on the narrow sometimes
challenging streets of old Montreal—and
rural Quebec.
Some background; the Micra was
first introduced in 1984 and was sold
on these shores until 1992. In that time,
Nissan Canada sold 40,357 units—quite
respectable but not necessarily
outstanding numbers.
Back to the present; to put things in
perspective, the entry-level Micra S is
pretty much an all manual vehicle—fivespeed transmission, windows, door locks
et al. For $9,998 for a brand new car, it’s,
however, an unbeatable value.
In all there are eight different
models—something for every discerning
budget and driving experience. While
the basic Micra is the lowest-priced new
car in Canada—by more than $2,000,
Nissan Canada does not expect this
car to be their leader. Rather, the Micra
S with a four-speed plus overdrive
automatic transmission including air
conditioning and cruise control will
retail for a net $13,298. Try getting air
conditioning in any other new car for
t