The highly-anticipated fifth-generation Nissan Micra made its global debut at the 2016 Paris Motor Show. Sporting a revolutionary design that sets it apart from the not-so-exciting fourth-gen car, the new Micra remained faithful to the Sway concept unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.

What makes it revolutionary, you ask?

Well, the Micra has always been a car that didn't adhere too much to the rest of the Nissan family in terms of design. The small hatchback usually featured styling cues of its own, while the overall impression was that of a bubble on wheels. All told, it wasn't exactly exciting to look at -- even though some found it to be cute -- compared to most of its competitors. This changes with the fifth-generation car, which was redesigned to include most of the design language seen on larger Nissan models.

Specifically, it now has a large V-motion grille flanked by squinty, sporty looking headlamps, boomerang-shaped taillights, a floating roof with blacked-out B- and C-pillars, a sculpted character line that runs from the nose all the way back to the tailgate. The hatchback is also lower, wider, and longer than its predecessor, which not only gives it a more aggressive stance, but also provides a lot of extra interior room.

Speaking of the cabin, it is packed with state-of-the-art technology and numerous features usually available in larger cars. The Micra comes with Lane Departure Prevention, a segment first, Intelligent Emergency Braking with pedestrian recognition, a first for Nissan vehicles in Europe, as well as Intelligent Around View Monitor, Traffic Sign Recognition, High Beam Assist and Blind Spot Warning

The engine lineup now includes a 0.9-liter, turbocharged, three-cylinder, gasoline unit and a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder diesel, both developing 90 horsepower and both shared with other Nissan and Renault cars. A naturally aspirated 73-horsepower 1.0-litre gas mill will be added to the lineup later on. European sales are set to commence from March 2017.

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Why it matters

I rarely get excited about small hatchback, but man, the new Micra is one pretty car. And I don't mean pretty as in cute. It's quite sporty to look at, and all those styling cues borrowed from larger Nissans and the Sway concept give it the kin dof appeal you don't usually find in this segment. I'd venture to compare the new Micra with the U.S.-spec Maxima, which went into production with several conceptual design features and a lot more tech than similarly priced vehicles. The Nissan Micra just replaced the Hyundai i20 as my favorite small hatchback.

New Vs. Old Micra