Nissan Micra interior, tech and practicality

Between the plush interior decor and the soft suspension, the Micra's generally a comfortable place to spend time. Effort has been taken to reduce the amount of hard plastics you touch and interact with around the cabin, and key touch points on the door panels and centre console have tactically placed soft-touch materials to lift the Micra above many cheaper-feeling rivals.

Visibility on the other hand is only average. The front and side view is fine but, like all rivals in this class, over-the-shoulder visibility is impacted by the thick rollover protection embedded in the rear pillar. Plus, the small rear window means we'd probably search out a mid-range model equipped with rear parking sensors.

Entry-level Visia trim includes just the bare bones – automatic lights and wipers being the only real hightlight. Visia+ added air conditioning. Neither of these basic trims proved popular with UK buyers so were phased out within a few years of launching.

Acenta is much more common and adds 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control and a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

N-Sport adds some visual flair with extra black detailing and larger alloy wheels. You also get part-leather upholstery, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors.

Alternatively, N-Connecta also sits above Acenta adding climate control to the cabin and sat nav to the infotainment system.

Topping the range is Tekna with its own alloy wheel design and part-faux-leather upholstery. You also get an upgraded Bose audio system.

Considering how low Micra prices are on the used market, we'd be tempted to search out a higher-spec N-Sport or Tekna model, since they're not that much more expensive than Visia or Acenta versions with a healthy boost to standard equipment.

The Micra's infotainment system is a single screen mounted in a pod on the dashboard. We like the fact there are physical controls to jump between functions, along with proper knobs for the volume and even track selection – a rare luxury these days!

There's enough real estate to read information at a glance and Nissan's resisted the temptation to put a lot of graphical clutter on screen. That said, its responses to inputs are occasionally a little laggy and the built-in sat nav screen looks a bit fussy. You'll be much better off using the standard-fit Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with your preferred mapping app.

Casual listeners won't complain about the standard stereo, but you can get an upgraded Bose unit if you select range-topping Tekna trim.

This is possibly the Micra's weakest area. Few cars in the small hatchback class offer outstanding rear seat space – other than the Honda Jazz, of course – but, even among its compact competition, the Micra feels tighter than most.

Rear legroom is limited and even small adults in the back will find they're close to bumping the headliner. Sit an adult over six-foot tall in the front and it becomes challenging to use the seat behind them. That means you'll have to ask all your passengers to shuffle around if you want any chance of using the rear seats.

As you'd expect then, the Micra isn't a great choice for carrying kids either. There's not much room to manoeuvre a bulky child seat into its Isofix anchors, and then you're left with even less space to convince your offspring to get buckled up.

At 300 litres, the Micra's boot is fairly average for the class, even beating some rivals like the Ford Fiesta on paper. However, in practice, the space isn't as useful as it could be.

The cargo space's length is reasonably good but it's narrower than most rivals, limiting its ability to carry awkwardly shaped objects. You're much better off folding the Micra's rear seats and taking advantage of the more than 1,000-litre space that frees up.