Its always a pleasure to review and write about a car that you know really well, and that you actually own as well. Well to be fair, my daughter at Varsity owns the Nissan Micra. And to day we review the enhancements that have been made to the current Generation Micra, which will be known as the Micra Active.

This variant will stay in the segment that it is, which is the lower B hatchment segment, and the new Generation, coming in 2018 will be in a higher segment with more spec.

The Micra Active looks much sportier than its predecessor, with changes to the front headlamps, which lose their oval look for a more teardrop shape. The front grille also looks more polished, with airtake vents at the bottom left and right.

The rear lights have a more distinctive look and a small spoiler at the top rear makes the car look sleek. The Micra Active will continue to appeal to younger buyers with the space it has.

The boot is fairly roomy, and it has a fold down option with the rear seats. The new upholstery is a definite improvement with its new design. The dash area has been updated, with a more defined instrument panel. Manual air-conditioning is a must in the Gauteng summers, and you have to have power windows as well. It has a 12V power socket and Bluetooth audio streaming ability to boot. For the launch period Nissan dealers are throwing in touch-screen navigation and infotainment system as an added accessory.

On the safety side, customers are well and truly taken care of with ABS, EBD and Brake Assist, driver and passenger airbags, ISOfix child seat anchorage in the second row, rear headrests, rear fog lights, a high mounted stop light, remote central locking, speed sensitive auto door lock and an immobiliser.

The Micra Active like the previous generation, is a car that likes to be driven, so keep it in the ideal rev range and you will zip around the highways and back roads of Jozi. Now that it looks more sportier, it loses that kind of uncool feeling that it had before. It has the same 1.2 -Litre petrol engine that develops 56kw & 104Nm of torque, seems little, but is very adequate. It has a manual transmission that is smooth and easy to change. Due to its nimble size, it darts around in traffic and is easy to park.

The Nissan Micra Active has an admirable array of optional extras, which will further enhance its new cool look. It offers-a reverse camera, tyre pressure monitoring system and reverse parking sensors. The extras are covered by the Nissan Approved Accessory Warranty, and the Trendsetter pack is the way to go with its smokey black alloy wheels,chrome exhaust, rear spoiler and mud guards.

Pricing is good, at R159,900.00 with a 3-year/90,000km service plan, and 6-year/150,000km warranty .

In summary, I am impressed with the tweaks that have been made to the aesthetics of the Micra Active. The news is that the new Micra will be in a higher segment so we look forward to that in 2018.