Nissan Micra
The next version of the Micra, the K12, was unveiled in production form at the 2002 Paris Motor Show, following the lines of the Nissan mm.e concept car presented the year before at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It was introduced to the Japanese market in early 2002 and to the European market in early 2003. The car was radically redesigned: it featured a new, 70 mm longer wheelbase (developed with Renault) and an even more curvy exterior that was taller and slightly wider. Its most distinctive feature was a pair of prominent headlamps that extended to the wing-tops. The redesign coincided with the Japanese Nissan dealership network Nissan Cherry Store being renamed Nissan Red Stage in 1999. Other additions included a sliding rear seat and the option of keyless ignition on higher specification models. The range of engines included improved 1.2 (CR12DE) and 1.4 (CR14DE) petrol models, and a Renault-sourced 1.5 diesel unit (K9K). The automatic CVT transmission of the previous model was replaced by a conventional automatic transmission.
The K12 was well received by the motor industry and set a new standard for the superminis that followed it.
In 2005, the K12 chassis spawned the coupé convertible model called the Nissan Micra C+C. It was designed at the new London-based Nissan Design Europe studio, developed at the Nissan Technical Centre Europe at Cranfield, Bedfordshire and built, as with its predecessor, at the Sunderland plant. It is built as a modern interpretation of the 1991 Micra-based Nissan Figaro with a convertible hardtop instead of the canvas top the Figaro had. The electric folding glass roof is made by Karmann coachworks and has a 2+2 seating layout. The car is powered by an 1.4 or 1.6 L gasoline engine, or a 1.5 L diesel available on European versions only. It was originally available only in Europe (launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show), but sales in Japan began in 2007 after the introduction at the Tokyo Auto Show.
There were originally four trim levels: Urbis, Sport, Essenza and Active Luxury.
In October 2013, Top Gear magazine placed the Micra C+C on its list of "The 13 worst cars of the last 20 years", describing the car "As much fun as sticking chilli-infused toothpicks in your eyes."
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