GO
GoAutoLogo
MENU

Make / Model Search

Future models - Nissan - Micra - DIG-S

Geneva show: Nissan's thrifty, supercharged Micra

DIG it: Nissan’s supercharged three-cylinder Micra DIG-S takes the fight up to mini diesels on emissions, economy and performance.

Supercharged petrol-powered Nissan Micra DIG-S to give diesel rivals a scare

22 Feb 2011

NISSAN is set to reveal a supercharged three-cylinder petrol Micra with diesel-like fuel efficiency.

The company, which will present the vehicle at the Geneva motor show on March 1, claims the Micra DIG-S (Direct Injection Gasoline-Supercharger) emits just 95 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre – superior to class-leading diesels such as the Ford Fiesta Econetic (98g/km) and Volvo C30 DRIVe (99g/km) but short of Toyota petrol-electric hybrid Prius (89g/km).

The car is scheduled to go into production this year for a mid-year European launch, but Nissan Australia says the new variant has not yet been confirmed for this market.

The Micra DIG-S will be offered in both manual and CVT automatic forms, with the latter emitting 115g/km of CO2 on the official European test cycle.

Idle-stop engine management helps to keep fuel consumption to 4.1 litres per 100km, which, while laudable, falls short of the Fiesta Econetic’s 3.7L/100km and Prius’s 3.9L/100km on the combined cycle.

The 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine also produces 72kW of power and 142Nm of torque, which outstrips three-cylinder rivals such as the Suzuki Alto (50kW/90Nm) and the upcoming Kia Picanto (51kW/63Nm).

Nissan International vice president, product strategy and planning Pierre Loing said a highly efficient petrol engine was superior to the more common low-emission diesel powerplants for the European market.

"We have been able to achieve this ultra low CO2 figure in a cost effective package and without the complication of particulate filters needed to clean up diesel engine emissions and which are not entirely compatible with a car that spends much of its life in the city," he said.

The current Micra was released in Australia last December, offering a choice of two engines, a naturally-aspirated 1.2-litre three-cylinder – the base engine for the DIG-S powerplant – or a 1.5-litre four-cylinder, with pricing that put it right in the middle of the hotly-contested light-car market against rivals such as the Alto and Holden Barina Spark.

The standard three-cylinder Micra emits 138g/km of CO2 and consumes 5.9L/100km of petrol on the combined cycle.

However, unlike the all-electric Leaf, which is set for a local release in 2012, Nissan has no plans to bring the Micra DIG-S to Australia at this stage.

Head of corporate communications Jeff Fisher told GoAuto: “They haven’t said that it will be offered to us in this market, but if they do, we will have a look at it.”

Read more

Click to share

Click below to follow us on
Facebook  Twitter  Instagram

Nissan models

Catch up on all of the latest industry news with this week's edition of GoAutoNews
Click here