I watched a wildlife TV programme a while back that suggested that human and animal babies were deliberately genetically designed to be cute.
The theory is that cuteness produces the instinct in parents and elders to protect and nurture the infant because of its cuteness. In other words, in nature cute is a survival mechanism.
Car designers also try for cute whenever it comes to creating a small car. They want the potential buyer to look at it and think "ag shame" and then take it home with them.
The problem is that nobody can accurately define exactly what cute is.
One person's opinion of cute may be downright weird and ugly to somebody else. This has plagued the launch of Nissan's new Micra baby car; most women seem to think it's cute, most men think it's a girly car.
But now Nissan have added a little muscle to their Micra in the form of a 1.5-litre turbodiesel engine. And just in case you missed the message that this is supposed to be a sporty car, the new Nissan Micra 1.5 dCi Tekna, to give it its full title, is only available in three-door form.
It also boasts multi-spoked 16" alloy rims with low-profile 50-series tyres. At R139 900 it is now the top-of-the-range Micra model.
The engine is a four-cylinder unit with two valves per cylinder and a single intercooled turbocharger. Power output is 60kW at 4000rpm, with a healthy 185Nm at 2000rpm.
The engine (and five-speed manual gearbox) were in fact developed by Nissan's partner Renault and - such is the globalised nature of the car industry today - the supposedly Japanese Micra is actually built at Nissan's production plant in Sunderland, England.
The interior of the dCi is neat and tidy with a touch of aluminium on the leather gearknob and drilled foot pedals. The only letdown is the instrument panel in a binnacle directly ahead of the driver.
The speedometer and rev counter are easily legible but look like they've been cut out of cardboard, detracting from what is otherwise a classy piece of styling.
The other jarring note in this Micra is that you are always aware that there's a diesel under the bonnet. Some (admittedly more expensive) turbodiesels clatter a bit at standstill but once they accelerate away they are as quiet as petrol engines.
Not with this dCi. It clatters at standstill and then yells its head off right through the rev range and through all the gears.
The gearbox is also a little slow and notchy; if you are familiar with petrol-engined Nissans will know just how wonderfully smooth and slick the gearboxes are, but this Renault-derived box just isn't in that class.
Jerky downchange
It's particularly slow on downchanges; I have a habit of double-declutching on down changes (a throwback to my biking days I suppose) but the revs die so quickly on this engine that a downchange - especially from third to second - can often be quite jerky.
I'm prepared to forgive the noise and the gearbox, however, thanks to its performance. It's a strong little engine with really impressive mid-range torque; even in fifth gear a prod on the accelerator will see the little Micra scoot ahead.
On paper the outright performance isn't that spectacular, but it's the mid-range torque that makes this car such fun to drive.
Zero to 100km/h comes up in just over 14 seconds, while top speed is a claimed 170km/h, none of which is going to keep the GTi brigade awake at night.
Its lack of thirst is impressive, however; the "instant fuel consumption" readout on the car's trip computer never went over 5.5 litres/100km. Sometimes the figure would even drop into the fours when cruising on the highway
My average was just over five which, with a 46-litre fuel tank, gives a range of well over 800km on a tankful.
Soft suspension
Nissan seems to have retained the Micra's relatively soft suspension settings despite its sporting pretensions. That means a little body roll in fast corners but the payoff is a nice, comfortable ride all the time.
The front end tends to push out a little more in tight corners because the diesel engine is more than 60kgs heavier than the 1.4-litre petrol engines fitted to its siblings, but lifting the throttle immediately pulls it back into line.
It may be a small car but the specification and safety-feature list is impressive. There are driver and passenger crash bags, and ABS with brake assist and electronic brake pressure distribution. Inside the cabin you'll find air conditioning, a radio/CD unit and an Isofix child-seat anchorage system.
Speaking of child seats, the rear seats in the Micra are really only suitable for pre-teenagers because adults won't be happy in them.
SUMMARY
I enjoyed driving the Micra dCi - it's not really the hot hatch Nissan's advertising agency would have you believe, but its engine punches above its weight while returning exceptional fuel consumption figures.
It's comfortable, safe, easy to drive and park. At R139 900 it's a little more expensive than some of its rivals, but offers a comprehesive specification list.
Young and old alike will enjoy driving it - and when you put your foot down in fourth gear at 3000rpm and the car rockets forwards you won't think it's a girly car.
Maybe you'll even think it's cute.
- Test vehicle from Nissan SA.