2011 Nissan Micra

It's time to give a brief look at Hyundai's competition. More praticularly, we will review the forth-coming Nissan Micra, which is scheduled to make its official debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.

Micra is Nissan's most successful sub-compact car that has been on sale ever since 1982. The current model of Nissan Micra, which has been first displayed at 2002 Paris Auto Show, has sold in thousands of units each year and has proved to be a successful contender in the popular B-car segment. It was especially successful in Europe, where it has been the best selling Nissan vehicle for years - until the Qashqai crossover showed up.

Scheduled to go on sale early next year, Nissan will replace the current Micra with a completely redesigned model, which will incorprate Nissan's latest design DNA, new eco-friendly engines and advanced transmissions.

Latest reports suggest that Nissan Micra will be powered by Renault's 1.2L gasoline turbo engine that already propels Renault Twingo. It will also be available with a fuel-sipping diesel engine, while latest rumors also indicate that Nissan is preparing a hybrid version of new Micra.

While no test mules of next Micra have been spied so far, we have gotten our hand on two designe sketches that give us a sneak peak preview at what could the 2010 Micra look like.

Subaru plans to start selling cars in South Korea

The sixth largest carmaker in Japan, the Subaru announced it will start selling its cars in South Korean market in April. A subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries, which was founded back in 1958, will be operated by Subaru Korea.

At the beginning, the company will offer three vehicles including the Legacy mid-size sedan, Outback crossover vehicle and Forester SUV. The company revealed it plans to secure dealerships with maintenance capabilities in the major cities such as Seoul, Busan, Gwangju and Bundang, while later it may expand to other smaller cities. 

Sales projections for the first year have been set at a very modest 600 units. Out of 600 vehicles sold, half are set aside for the sedan, and the remainder is divided equally between the Forester SUV and Outback crossover.

Prices have not been released yet and will be announced closer to the launching date set for April 2010.

With every new entry onto Korean market, Hyundai is facing stronger competition. Yet, the Korean largest automaker is confident it can retain more than 50 percent market share in 2010.

P.S. Mitsubishi ASX, which has made its unofficial debut yesterday, is rumored to enter Korean auto market sometime next year to challenge Hyundai's new Tucson and Kia's upcoming Sportage replacement.