Nissan Micra news - Geneva show: Nissan Micra - 2010

Centre-stage on the Nissan stand is the all-new Micra. If you're thinking it looks a bit... inoffensive, you're spot on. Nissan is billing the Micra as a ‘global compact car', so it has to appeal to - and, perhaps more importantly, not offend - buyers from every corner of globe. Well, most corners.

To whit, it's being launched in Thailand this month before reaching the UK in the autumn. Under the deeply sensible exterior, there's some interesting stuff. Longer and slightly lower than its predecessor, the 2010 Micra sits on an all-new platform - called the Versatile or V Platform - and will launched with just one engine: a new 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol in naturally aspirated or supercharged form.

The latter - fitted with stop-start as standard - will emit just 95g/km of CO2, a mighty impressive figure for a petrol engine. 

No word on a new ‘C+C' convertible version yet. Fingers crossed... that they forget to make one.

See what else is being revealed in Geneva