WHEN it comes to the new K13 Nissan Micra, 1.5 litres worth of four-cylinder engine is the extravagant choice. By using a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine as the starting point, Nissan has served notice that it is serious about positioning the Micra according to its name as a true light car. , In size, safety and equipment this latest Nissan entrant in a sector populated by some fairly ordinary machines sets a new benchmark with few compromises to the driving experience. The 1.5-litre variants still offer very good, although not class-leading, economy and would probably be the choice of owners doing a lot of highway driving. , Nevertheless, the value for money equation comes out not quite so well because the entry-level 1.5, the ST-L, costs $14,990, compared with $12,990 for the 1.2-litre ST manual. Choosing a self-shifting transmission adds $2000 to the ST to give buyers a neat choice between three-cylinder auto and four-cylinder manual at the $14,990 price point.