Mississauga, Ont. – On March 30, less than a year after its return to the Canadian market, the 2015 Nissan Micra reached a sales milestone of 9,998 units – coinciding with the subcompact’s starting Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of just $9,998*. Sales of the 2015 Nissan Micra surpassed the 10,000 unit mark on March 31st for a grand total of 10,265. Nissan also announced today the Micra offers the lowest cost of ownership in its class**, according to results released today from a Vincentric study.
“Small cars are a dominant part of Nissan’s DNA and have been since the company’s first cars rolled off in assembly line in Japan in 1935. Here we are 80 years later, celebrating a subcompact car that maintains that Japanese heritage in its durability, but also blends in European styling, punctuated with several features tailored for Canadians, by Canadians,” says Christian Meunier, president of Nissan Canada.
“The Nissan Micra is exceptional for those three characteristics, but what stands out the most are its undeniable value proposition, and its fun-to-drive personality. I am thrilled to report such a stellar first year for Micra, a car that has taken Canada by storm.”
Since rejoining the line-up last May, the 2015 Nissan Micra experienced an evolution by crossing into a number of automotive realms including: rally racing in Targa Newfoundland 2014; a stylish new trim in the Micra KROM; and an entirely new Canadian racing series based on the base Micra S – the Nissan Micra Cup which launches on May 22nd in Quebec.
Nissan Micra’s evolutionary year
The Nissan Micra made history last year as a new vehicle with the lowest starting MSRP in Canada, and also offering the lowest cost-of-entry for an abundance of must-have features including: Bluetooth, Rear View Monitor, cruise control, manual air conditioning and automatic transmission. The combination of Micra being fun-to-drive, and its unbeatable value proved to resonate with Canadians.
In the fourth quarter of 2014, Nissan grabbed the lead of the subcompact segment with an average market share of 20 per cent with sales of Versa Note and Micra combined. Micra continues to be in demand in 2015 with an average 14 per cent market share in the segment, and 26 per cent when combined with Versa Note.
Nissan didn’t wait to take Micra’s image to the next level. In November of 2014, a special edition was announced – the Krom. Built on the popular SV Convenience grade, the Nissan Micra Krom package begins for an additional $599 and features chrome mirror covers, door handle covers, door side moldings, trunk entry guards as well as a Canadian roof graphic and special “Krom” badge.
The next adventure for Micra was one of the most exciting in its history– participating in the Grand Touring Division in Targa Newfoundland 2014. Two base model Micras – with no modifications except an installed fire extinguisher – rose to the challenge and successfully tackled over 1,600 kilometres each, meandering the often demanding Newfoundland roads.
The Nissan Micra’s motorsport story in Canada is only just beginning. In less than two months, Nissan will launch the first-ever race for the Nissan Micra Cup – Canada’s most affordable racing series with Canada’s most affordable car. Sanctioned by Auto Sport Québec (ASQ) and presented by JD Promotion Compétition with the support of Nissan Canada, the Nissan Micra Cup exclusively features the stock Micra 1.6 S M/T model with minor modifications, including NISMO suspension – to render it race-ready. The first-ever race for the Nissan Micra Cup will take place over three days – May 22, 23, 24 – at Circuit Mont-Tremblant, one of the finest and most demanding tracks in Canada.
Micra: offering Canadians the lowest cost of ownership
In the past year, the Nissan Micra has been awarded numerous accolades including: Auto123.com’s subcompact of the year, Meilleure Citadine from le Guide de l’auto, AutoGo’s Best Car for Students, and named Clef D’Or by Annuel de l’Automobile and most recently, the inaugural 2015 ALG Residual Value Award in the City Car segment.
Today, Nissan is pleased to announce the Nissan Micra’s unbeatable value has again been validated, this time by a Vincentric study measuring lifecycle costs. The study found the Micra has the lowest cost of ownership in its class, while also addressing all requested competitor models.
Costs measured were depreciation, fuel costs, insurance, maintenance, repairs, financing, fees and taxes and even opportunity cost, which is the loss of potential interest income as a result of owning and operating a vehicle.
The study assumed that owners will drive 16,000, 20,000, or 24,000 kilometers per year in Canada for two, three, four, or five years, for total of 12 different calculations for each model.
The average lifecycle costs for each model were then compared to determine which had the lowest lifecycle costs in each of the 12 scenarios. The results showed that the 2015 Nissan Micra performed the best in the two, three, and four year scenarios for 16,000 and 20,000 annual KM. The Micra also had the second and third best results in the five year scenarios. This was primarily due to the Micra having the lowest market price and lowest depreciation cost compared to its competitors.
Big efficiency in a small package
In addition to presenting Canadians with the best running cost in its class, the Nissan Micra offers compelling real-world fuel economy as recently proved at an event hosted by the Automobile Journalists’ Association of Canada (AJAC). The ride-and-drive event, the AJAC EcoRun, is an annual showcase of a variety of eco-friendly vehicles, which include pure electrics, plug-in and conventional hybrids, hydrogen fuel cells, diesel-fuelled powertrains and highly-efficient gasoline options. The purpose of the EcoRun is to help inform consumers of these alternative options, as well as providing accurate road testing fuel economy numbers.
Over the course of two days and more than 200 kilometres, the Micra S produced the best fuel economy figures out of the nine internal combustion engine vehicles participating in the event, and surpassed its official Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) rating of 7.7L/100 km. At the conclusion of the 2015 AJAC EcoRun, the Nissan Micra’s real-world fuel economy average was an impressive 5.54L/100 kilometres, proving the capability of the Micra’s advanced 1.6-litre DOHC 4-cylinder engine with dual fuel injection and Twin CVTC (Continuously Variable Timing Control).
*Excludes taxes.
** Based on the results from the February 2015 Vincentric Model Level Analysis of 2015 Nissan Micra and competitor models, using manual transmission if available. Segmentation based on AIAMC industry standard.
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