Stripped-down variant of Nissan Micra spotted in Chennai

Renault-Nissan might have went on a new model rampage in India over the last few years, but only a couple of them have went on to become big success stories. Nissan Micra, sadly, isn't one of them. Ever since its launch in 2010, Micra's sales numbers in India can best be termed average. Its a different story in international markets though, as the Chennai plant keeps churning out Micras in significantly bigger numbers to cater to the export demand. Now that three years have passed since it went on sale, Nissan is planning to launch a mid-cycle facelift of the Micra in India and abroad. But, it looks like Nissan is not going to discontinue the existing Micra altogether.

 
The company is planning to launch a stripped down variant of the car that will be priced significantly lower than the current model. These pictures of the Micra hatchback caught testing in Chennai are proof of that. If reports in other automotive websites are to be believed, this variant will be called the 'Micra Active' and will continue to sell alongside the face-lifted Micra.

To reduce costs, Nissan is planning to cut down on many features like, for instance, the Driver Airbag that is currently standard across the Micra range. We also expect the stripped-down Micra to lose out on some of the NVH material and chassis safety structures that are currently designed for stricter European norms. Though the thin camouflage at the front hints at a subtle change for the Micra Active, the rear end is exactly same as the existing model. Expected to be launched within the next few months, the Micra Active is said to be targeting models like the Hyundai i10 and Honda Brio, which means it might end up priced significantly lower than the existing Micra.

Will this move work out for Nissan and help increase Micra's sales in India? Let's wait and watch.