ENGINEERED and built in Britain for European tastes, the Micra suffered from bad timing: Its UK sourcing made it expensive just as its main (and often inferior) rivals from Ford (Festiva), Hyundai (Excel) and later Toyota (Starlet) embarked on massive discounting, effectively pricing the Nissan out of contention. Yet its exceptional spaciousness, peppy performance and excellent economy, especially from the advanced CVT auto optional in the mid-range SLX featured here. All models featured a 55kW 1.3-litre twin-cam 16-valve four-cylinder engine, mostly mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. From August 1996 the K11 Micra Series II arrived, featuring a new grille, revised cabin trim, redesigned wheels and more features. But despite the quality of the product, neither sales nor profits materialised, and Nissan sadly pulled the plug on the Micra in late 1997.