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Nissan’s fifth generation Micra, will ‘re-establish’ itself in the top-10 sellers in its segment.

It came 14th in February’s new car B-segment sales, behind the Kia Rio and Citroen C3.

The new Micra is longer, wider and lower than ever before. The car has been repositioned at the very heart of the ultra-competitive European B-hatchback segment.

Guillaume Cartier, senior vice president sales and marketing at Nissan Europe, said: “We have taken the European compact car segment to a new level by focusing on what customers really want today and expect tomorrow.

“The All New Nissan Micra is an exceptional car, characterised by its expressive design, uplifting interior and confident drive.

“There is so much affection in Europe for the Micra, clearly demonstrated by more than three decades of heritage and more than 3.5 million sales. It was famously the first Japanese model to win the European Car of the Year title in 1993.”

The All New Nissan Micra is, he said, a technology leader, with a number of ‘in-control’ features available for the first time.

These include Intelligent lane intervention, a safety system which corrects the Micra back on to the right path should it be required.

Nissan’s ‘intelligent around view monitor’ camera system – as seen on the Qashqai and Juke crossovers – is also available on the Micra for the first time.

These and other technologies are a demonstration of Nissan Intelligent Mobility, the brand’s vision for a zero emissions and zero fatalities future.

The new Micra will be offered with the BOSE Personal audio system, including speakers built into the driver’s head rest. The car is available with three downsized engines – two petrol and one diesel – all linked to a five-speed manual gearbox.

The Micra will be available in Nissan’s five specification grades, Visia, Visia+, Acenta, N-Connecta and Tekna.

The car will be available with a wide range of personalisation options, modifying the exterior and interior.

The Micra will be available through Nissan’s Intelligent Get&Go, a shared vehicle leasing scheme that is running as a pilot in Paris during 2017 and, if successful, will be extended to other countries.