Nissan Micra Active vs Maruti Wagon R vs Ford Figo

Calling the Micra Active ‘new’ is misleading. It is actually the pre-facelift Micra with a few tweaks made to it, and a bit of equipment stripped out of it. This has helped Nissan keep costs low and effectively position the car a whole segment lower than before.

To see just how good a value-for-money proposition this cut-rate Micra is, we brought along a couple of cars that also pride themselves on giving you the most bang for your hard-earned buck – the Maruti Wagon R and Ford Figo. When it comes to value for money, Maruti’s been the kingpin since the first 800 rolled out almost three decades ago. And across its stable today, the Wagon R probably embodies this best, which explains why Maruti’s ‘blue-eyed boy’ alone sells as many units as about all of Nissan and Ford’s models combined. Ford’s Figo, on the other hand, has been around for about three years now and has lost its initial steam. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that this well-made baby Ford is a great all-rounder.

Now, a first-time car buyer is likely to be more comfortable with a car that’s easy to drive and park, is reasonably spacious and has controls that are easy to use. So we drove around the city of Mumbai to see just how easy these working-class heroes are to live with.