Nissan shows the new Micra at Geneva

Nissan has shown its fourth-generation Micra at the Geneva Motor Show. The new car is somewhat more conservative in design than the outgoing model and has echoes of the second-generation "bubble" Micra that was such a strong seller in the Nineties.

The Micra will be sold in 160 countries and will be introduced initially in Thailand – one of the four countries that will host production of the new car – before coming to Europe in the autumn. In a break with recent practice, the latest version of the car won't be built at Nissan's UK plant at Sunderland, which is keeping busy as a centre for production of the company's successful crossover models such as the Qashqai.

In Europe, the car will be offered with a 1.2-litre three cylinder engine. In standard form, this provides 80 horsepower and emits just 115g/km of CO2 in official tests. A supercharged, direct-injection version paired with fuel-saving stop-start technology will also be available (98 horsepower, 95g/km).