7 October 2002: The competition in the supermini segment in the critical buying time from January 1 2003 has just got hotter, with the announcement that the new Nissan Micra will be on sale in Ireland from that date.

The car was revealed to Europe at the just-finished Paris Motor Show, and it joins the X-Trail and new Primera to spearhead Nissan's resurgence in Europe.

Full details and specifications will be available in late November, at which time the car will also be available for viewing at all Irish Nissan dealers. A full preview of the car from our coverage of the Paris Motor Show can be seen here.

Gerald O'Toole, MD of Nissan Ireland, says he expects the new Micra to acheive a 4% market share in Ireland.

The Micra CC coupe-cabriolet will also be on sale in Ireland in the new year.