Since Nissan launched the first edition of the Micra in 1983, it has become one of the world’s most popular small cars, which is indicated by the length of time the brand has survived. It is estimated that over five million Nissan Micras have been manufactured since it first hit the roads 28 years ago and, in Britain alone, there are currently around 355,000 in use. This volume of production alone counts for one of the reasons for the Micra’s continued popularity – the number manufactured means that they are readily available, both new and second-hand via online car classifieds networks such as Motors.
The Micra has become known for high standards of safety and reliability, manufacturing quality and user-friendliness. An example of this was the Reliability Supertest undertaken by What Car? Magazine in 2007, in which Nissan came 6th out of the 26 car manufacturers featured, while the Micra K11 edition was ranked Nissan’s most reliable car. These qualities point to a major determining factor in the brand’s long-term popularity – the fact that it became one of the most popular cars among female drivers and has built upon and maintained that profile. This is due to the above-mentioned qualities, as female drivers are more likely to be concerned about practical applications such as a car’s reliability, safety and ease of use, than issues such as high-speed performance, acceleration speeds and size.
The look of the Micra has seen it classed by many as a woman’s car and, in order to try to expand the market for the brand, Nissan recently launched a new model Micra with what was considered a harder, more ‘masculine’ look. This ambition was confirmed by Nissan themselves who stated that the new model of the car was intended to appeal to a wider consumer group.