Nissan launches compact car Micra

Japanese automaker Nissan yesterday announced the commercial launch of its much-awaited compact car Micra, that comes with a price tag between Rs3.98 lakh and Rs5.29 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). According to analysts, the entry of the aggressively priced compact car was expected to escalate the price-war in the premium hatchback market segment.

The nationwide sales of Micra for which the company has already made over 2,000 bookings would commence from Thursday.

Equipped with some advanced 'never before' features including intelligent key with immobiliser, push-button engine start-stop system and electric foldable mirror as also several safety and luxury features, Micra is being offered in a 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine and is available in three variants - entry model XE Rs3.98 lakh, mid-level, XL Rs4.69-lakh and top-end XV, Rs5.29-lakh. The car is also lean on fuel consumption and gives a fuel efficiency of 18.06 km a litre.

The carmaker also announced a number of customer care and service schemes.

''The Nissan Micra is the right product at the right time that will offer the customers a good means of urban mobility with a complete package of performance, features, safety and comfort. We expect Micra with its latent advantage and its unique features to do well in the Indian market and carve a niche of its own compared to other competitive models in this segment,'' said Nissan Motor India managing director and CEO Kiminobu Tokuyama. Nissan in its commitment to fair and equitable benefit to customers across India has also adopted a uniform pricing policy across the country.

Micra is being rolled out of the Chennai plant of Renault Nissan Automotive India, the company's joint venture with French partner Renault.