Spy Shot: Nissan Micra C+C
Here are the latest snaps of the cute little Micra coupe-cabriolet, due to go on sale in September 2005. First seen at the 2002 Paris Motor Show, and styled at Nissan's new design studio in Paddington, London, the C+C will join the Vauxhall Tigra, Peugeot 206 CC and upcoming Mitsubishi Colt Cabriolet in having a folding hard-top roof, but it will also compete against other mini roadsters such as the Ford StreetKa, Daihatsu Copen and MINI Convertible.
German coachbuilder Karmann has developed the folding, retracting roof, and established its own production unit at Nissan's factory in Sunderland, England, where the hatchback Micra is also assembled. The convertible will nominally be a 2+2, but we're not anticipating much room for those in the back. With these side-by-side pics, you can see how the C+C's roofline has been chopped by around four inches compared to a conventional Micra.
The C+C will get the new 1.6-litre, 110 bhp engine which will be offered in the mainstream Micra range from this summer. This engine is part of a whole new 'family' of petrol engines developed by Nissan in Japan; these units will also be fitted in the new-generation Clio and its derivatives. The 80 bhp 1.4 will also be offered, and whilst there are no plans for a diesel straight away, Nissan knows that the Renault 1.5dCi unit would fit, and this could be offered at a later date if it looks cost-effective to do so. With Peugeot recently confirming a diesel 206 CC, Nissan is no doubt keeping an eye on how the demand for diesel cabriolets develops.