Nissan introduces new Micra 1.2 DIG-S

18 Feb 2011

Nissan will launch the Micra DIG-S at the Geneva Motor Show this March with the new supercharged 1.2-litre petrol engine promising CO2 emissions of just 95g/km, making it free to tax and exempt from the London Congestion Charge.

It may seem a bit of a long-winded name, but the DIG-S engine is so named because it is a Direct Injection Gasoline-Supercharger. It's designed to delivery perky performance, frugal economy and exceptionally low emissions. Given the lukewarm reception to the latest Nissan Micra, this engine should be a welcome addition and hopefully give the small hatchback some much needed pep.

The DIG-S version uses the same 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine as the standard Micra but power is boosted from 80bhp to 98bhp while, more crucially, torque rises from a rather underwhelming 110Nm to 142Nm. Despite this increase in power, the DIG-S is actually MORE efficient that the standard engine, emitting 95g/km of CO2 with the manual gearbox compared to 115g/km.

Fuel economy improves too from 58.9mpg to a very impressive 68.9mpg for the manual Visia model. Opting for the rather underwhelming CVT model sees emissions rise to 115g/km of CO2. The drop in emissions on the DIG-S engine are down to a revamped engine management system, energy regeneration plus an engine stop/start system.

The lowest CO2 figures refer to the entry-level version as higher levels of equipment found in plusher models mean extra weight which affects emissions performance. But such is the efficiency of the unit that the most popular version, Acenta, also promises a CO2 figure of just 99g/km in manual form. The DIG-S will be given its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show with sales starting over the summer.

Full coverage of the Geneva Motor Show 2011