The K14 Micra marked an ending of an era for not only Nissan rounding off the reign of their supermini but also the industry shift from the small and mighty to not-so-small crossovers and SUVs.

Currently, a K14 Micra can be found for around £7500, down from £12,800 when new. Considered a bit pricey at the time, it’s resale value is still a full grand and a half over that of a Clio which currently sells for around £6,000. 

The previous four generations of Micra came and went with typical Nissan reliability and created a great for itself name in the supermini sphere. However, the lacklustre sales of the K13 in the European market meant that the K14 decided to add a level of prestige to restore its reputation. That more-or-less explains the higher price than its competitors at launch. 

There was a considerable stylistic upgrade from the K13, which carries little to no underpinnings of modern car design. The K14, however, has aged in a way that disguises it among brand new cars quite elegantly. It’s obviously not a part of Nissan’s latest range, but it contains an aggressive design that harkens little resemblance to the curves and hard plastics of the K13 and previous.

The K14 has not only aged well in the design department. In a time of ZEV mandates and tsunamis of new emissions regulations, the Micra finds itself being drivable in any clean air zone without having to face a fine. 

Driving the K14 is also still a pleasurable experience. Give the turbocharger a second to wind up and, alongside the aerodynamic design, a good bit of fun is very possible without pushing the car beyond its limits.

Generally, the K14 Micra punches well above its weight with little compromise. It’s got an array of upmarket features such as lane-keeping assist and interior stylistic touches that competitors like the Clio or Fiesta of the time didn’t have. With a resale price that has been more-or-less steadfast for a good few years now, it makes a lot of sense to pick up.

Reliability

WhatCar? ended up giving Nissan a reliability score of 90.7%, placing it higher than Vauxhall and VW but below Ford, Seat and Skoda. While the Micra itself did not appear on their 2024 reliability survey at the time, it finished mid-table on the last survey it appeared in. 

My experience with the K14 has mostly been positive, with the car always being a dependable option. I say ‘mostly’ positive as there was a recall earlier in 2024 which required my car to have a seat rail replacement as a flaw in the mechanism had been found. This wasn’t a huge deal though, as I took it in to my local dealership and the repair was completed that day, free of cost.

Generally, it is safe to say that Nissan’s reputation as a brand with a focus on reliability is being upheld, with the K14 proving to be a sturdy workhorse that can operate relatively trouble-free.

Design and styling

It’s similarly safe to say that Nissan made an effort to push the boat out in the styling department, especially after the less charming approach taken by the K13. A 75mm increase in the car’s wheelbase and further forward A-pillar allowed the K14 to accentuate its sloping roofline. Alongside being wider and having a lower ground clearance, Nissan showed clear willingness to further appeal to the European market.

This extra muscle on the Micra’s meat is supported by a torsion beam similar to that of the contemporary Qashqai. A solid-mounted front subframe was also fitted that provides superb body control. The K14’s road agility is further strengthened with the Nissan Intelligent Ride Control and Intelligent Trace Control systems using the brakes to minutely enhance the car’s ride and handling.

The expressive personality of the K14 is clear from the exterior. It starts from the V-motion grille and aggressive headlights which help lead the sculpted bodywork, while blacked out rear pillars and bold wheel design cements a look unlike any other supermini on sale.

While there are a couple of things such as the stocky rear end and light positioning which help reveal that this car was built in the same factory as the Renault Clio and Zoe in France, it was clear this move was made to bring the K14 close to Europe after the K13 moved the Micra from the factory in Sunderland to production lines in India, Thailand, Mexico and Indonesia.

Interior

From the abundance of scratchy plastics on previous models (that looked outdated even when new), the K14 made heavy alterations to not only create a more modern cabin, but also one of surprising quality.

Soft touch materials line the upper dash and steering wheel. Blue, orange or red trim colour options were also made available, adding lashings of personality to the seats, door cards and dashboard. Though I find the standard white to provide enough character.

The front of the cabin is a comfortable place to be with ample space that comes as a part of the K14’s wider and longer stance.

Though, the sloping roofline breaks this feeling of space as it makes life tough for those sitting in the rear. As a result of Nissan’s style-conscious approach, the K14 may be less appealing if you regularly have anyone taller than a child in the back, especially when alternatives like the Clio or Skoda Fabia managing to work their ways around this.

The rear seats aren’t all doom and gloom though. Fitted with Isofix, they are also collapsible to make extra space for large objects going in the boot.

The K14’s 300L boot space is pretty standard for a B-segment supermini. It does what is required of it, although if you are trying to pack more in the rear seats can fold down.

The NissanConnect infotainment system is simple to use with a no-frills, easy-to-operate attitude. The 7-inch display covers the centre of the dash and has a nice touchscreen to physical button ratio.

Nissan made the decision to equip K14 ‘Acenta’ variant (like the one used in this review) with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Strangely though, the more expensive N-Connecta and Tekna models drop this function to instead have a more advanced NissanConnect that has the CarPlay functions such as Sat-Nav built-in.

As developed as functional as NissanConnect may be, CarPlay and Auto are refined interfaces that constantly see updates from Apple and Google respectively. They reflect the user interfaces of your mobile phone and allow drivers to use the navigation system of your choice, such as Google Maps or Waze. As a consequence of Nissan’s bizarre decision making in this regard, the more ‘upmarket’ Micras may be significantly less desirable.

One significant upgrade that the N-Connecta does see, however, is the option to have a Bose speaker system. Then again, it’s not worth going out of your way to try to get one with this installed as the standard sound system does a good job of punching above its weight. Plus, I imagine most would find CarPlay or Auto to be the more useful option in day-to-day use.

Engine and performance

The K14s you’ll find will be manual or automatic, bearing either a petrol 89bhp 0.9-litre turbocharged, 1.0-litre naturally aspirated or a 89bhp 1.5-litre diesel engine, each coming with three pistons. None of the engine options manage to deliver power of any invigorating magnitude, instead being best described as ‘functional and practical’. 

The model used in this review comes with the 0.9-litre. Perhaps sometimes a tad sluggish off the line, give the turbocharger a second to wind up and it can happily generate some power.

The turbo is nowhere near as exciting as one you may see in a Mini Cooper or a Fiesta Ecoboost, but it is still hardly something to raise any complaints about. A Micra drive can be enjoyed, but the motor certainly has more modest priorities.

Brakes follow a similar school of thought, operating predictably without leaving much to be desired. They are firm and responsive but also allow for smooth deceleration.

Engine performance is more humble than the energetic exterior design would lead you to believe. Then again this is not a Nismo. So a lack of ‘extraordinary’ under the bonnet is perfectly fine.

Ride and handling

The British driver would be the one who could appreciate the Micra’s ride at its best, as it was developed in Cranfield and spent a good chunk of its time being tuned and tested on UK roads. 

The car steers with a flow and fluency, despite the power disadvantage to its rivals. The excellent body control, well-tuned suspension, dampers and robust chassis creates smooth and sturdy handling. This allows the car to easily be thrown around country lanes without ever feeling stretched to its limits.

As expected, the K14 handles drives around town pretty easily, feeling manoeuvrable and fits right in with other top-class superminis. It remains settled on a variety of roads with steering that has enough weight to act predictably. Plus, the increased size from the K13 provides more road presence in cities, preventing you from feeling overwhelmed by the amount of SUV and crossovers you see around nowadays. 

The K14 has you covered on long journeys, coming equipped with cruise control, lane-keeping assist and auto high beams. It stays sturdy at high speed and never feels out of its depth when charging down the M6. The aerodynamic front end and shoulder lines allow the Micra to slip through the air much more effortlessly and delivers respectable fuel economy.

The digital display in the instrument cluster presents the driver with tyre pressure, fuel economy, journey time and distance information. At best it can provide useful statistics for long drives. At worst it’s something to flick through when bored. No complaints here.

MPG and running costs

WhatCar? reported the 1.0-litre petrol variant to have an average economy figure of 51.4mpg, according to current WLTP standards. The turbocharged 0.9-litre petrol received a lower figure of 47.1mpg. The 1.5-litre diesel, however, achieved an astounding 88.3mpg (NEDC). Although, with WLTP testing, this dropped to 52.3mpg.

Through my testing with the 0.9-litre, this 47.1mpg seems accurate. On motorway journeys, my fuel economy would often rise to a sensible 60-65mpg.

Verdict

For the price of £7,500 used, the Micra is well worth considering. The K14 pairs comfortable performance and reliability with an attractive design that acts as an unequivocal upgrade to its predecessor. Nissan’s efforts in making a stellar European run-around were not in vain as it sits on the higher end of quality in the budget supermini market.

While no edition of the K14 is poor, it is certainly more worth looking for an Acenta variant, as while you will miss out on the fancy Bose speakers, you gain the convenience of Android Auto/Apple CarPlay.

Importantly, with the outstanding way the resale value has held over the past few years (I would lose no money if I were to sell mine today), the K14 is absolutely worth overlooking a second hand Fiesta or Clio for.

All image credit: Grace Photography.