MONTREAL, QC – In an exclusive event in Montreal, Christian Meunier, the president of Nissan Canada was on hand to reveal and talk about the Nissan Micra. Some of you might remember that the Micra was last sold in Canada in the early 90s and Nissan believes that the new version can succeed in Canada with their affinity for small cars.

For those that aren’t familiar with the Micra, it’s a supermini compact hatchback that will slot in as the cheapest vehicle offered in the Nissan fleet. You might be thinking whether that will take away from Versa Note sales and you’re probably right, but Nissan is looking at the Micra addition as a way of bringing different buyers into the Nissan fold. Their main focus will be towards younger buyers who are looking to find the best bang for their buck. They’re also hoping to capture those individuals that in the past bought used and are looking for something more modern and up-to-date with the latest technologies in new cars.

Canada will be the 161st country to offer the new Micra, but their neighbours to the south will not get the pleasure. A main reason for the Micra’s return has a lot to do with is its relatability to the Euro-centric Quebec market. So it was no coincidence that this event took place in la belle province. Nissan is expecting 50 per cent of its sales coming from Quebec with the other sales mostly concentrated in Ontario, British Colombia and parts of Saskatchewan.

The good news for Nissan is that there wouldn’t be that much competition in the supermini car segment. Their biggest competition will come from the Chevy Spark and the Mitsubishi Mirage and after seeing what the Micra has to offer – those other automakers should be a little bit concerned.

“After 21 years, the Nissan Micra is returning to Canada to change the automotive landscape,” said Meunier. “Micra will provide Canadians with the unbeatable value, Japanese quality, European bold styling and fun driving experience that they deserve in a small car.”

There wasn’t much revealed in terms of specifications, but the one thing we do know is that the Micra will have the same 1.6-litre, four-cylinder engine found in the Versa Note. This is different than the Micra offered in Europe that is fitted with the 1.2-litre, three-cylinder supercharged engine that was revealed a few months back at the Frankfurt Motor Show. 

Nissan is saving almost all of the remaining information for the Montreal Auto Show that starts next week on January 16th. The one thing that will be left out is price. Nissan is keeping tight-lipped about it, but we’re told that it will be impressively low and a top value purchase. Currently, the Versa Note starts at $13,348, so we can only guess that that price will be shaved off maybe a couple thousand??

We will keep you posted when more information is revealed during the Montreal Auto Show.