“With no manual gearbox to worry about, excellent outward visibility and compact proportions, the Micra is a cinch to drive.”

FOR MANY PEOPLE, a car is little more than a means to get from one place to another. Basic transport, but a lot more convenient than public transit.

For this type of motorist, there’s a veritable smorgasbord of inexpensive n’ uncomplicated vehicles to cater to them, the majority sitting snugly in the sub-$20,000 price bracket.

The 2009 Nissan Micra is one such vehicle, but while it undoubtedly holds no pretensions to luxury, speed or rugged utility, is there more to it than just bare-bones motoring?

We wanted to find out what the cutely-styled hatchback had to offer the average motorist, and when Nissan flung us the keys to a New York Blue Micra City Collection, I was only too happy to run it through the wringer.

Styling

By far, the Micra’s most notable feature is its shape. Although it’s almost seven years-old now (the K12 Micra debuted in 2003), the Micra still looks as fresh, funky and eye-catching as it did when it first went on sale.

Curves are the predominant theme in the Micra’s design. There’s nary a straight line to be found, and the shape is smooth, organic and somewhat bulbous. Those headlights are practically amphibian in the way they protrude above the bonnet - perhaps the most polarizing aspect of the Micra’s design.

As a result of its upright, cab-centric shape, cabin space is maximised and outward visibility is good. The exterior may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it grows on you.

Admittedly, it might not reek of testosterone, but with a range of gender-neutral hues in the Micra’s palette, men can still drive around in one without looking completely emasculated.

Our tester looked great in New York Blue, but Roma Red, Madrid Ebony and Monaco Platinum are equally as bloke-friendly. Women (on my observations, young women in particular), seem to dig the numerous pastel hues on offer, while a dark purple and deep red are a classy touch.

Being the up-spec City Collection model, our test car also came with a set of 15 inch alloy wheels.

The Interior

The Micra’s cabin is a touch more conventional than its exterior.  While large rotary dials, chunky door-handles and ‘uncomplex’ shapes signify that Nissan has placed function over form, there are flourishes of the exterior design’s influence extending to the cabin.

The door bins, for example, are framed by a large elliptical plastic supports which tie into the door handles and window controls. The seat cushions have a large oval panel sewn in and the front headrests have an almost cartoonish hole punched through them.

The only interior colour option is what Nissan calls the Belgian Chocolate scheme, which consists of dark brown plastics offset by patterned door and seat trim in matching earthy tones.

We found it a rather pleasant interior for what is one of the cheapest cars on the market, but some buyers may not appreciate the lack of interior trim choice.

What they will appreciate is the generous amount of storage space. The Micra’s long dashboard is contoured to hold knick-knacks; there are map pockets in the front doors; a small mobile phone tray under the ventilation controls; a storage tray under the passenger’s seat, a grand total of four cup-holders and the most cavernous glovebox I’ve ever seen in a car – big or small (front-seat passengers could feasibly fit an entire foot in there comfortably).