(May 17, 2014) MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Canada — The tiny Nissan Micra "city car" has returned to the Canadian landscape. Nissan says it will arrive in Canadian dealerships this spring with a starting price of $9,998 Canadian ($9,100 U.S.) and will become the least expensive Nissan sold in Canada. The Nissan Versa sedan starts at $11,898.

The 2015 Micra will arrive in three trims — S, SV and SR — with the buyer's choice of a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. A 109-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cylinder is the sole engine choice. There will also be a number of accessory options that should allow some personalization for the small cars, with Nissan claiming that things like door handle finishers and mirror caps will be available in five different colors (plus chrome) for under $200.

Nissan says the Micra is a fun car, packed with details and more value than what is available in other small cars in the market. Its key attributes were on display in Montreal this week as the brand hosted a welcome-back event for the car.

"This car is key because it will truly widen our appeal to Canadians. It was a big miss in Canada, especially in Quebec, the bigger urban areas for a smaller, sexy European car with high quality and great value. And I think with this car we are going to bring it to market and I think we are going to attract a brand new type of customer," said Christian Meunier, President, Nissan Canada.

More than 20 years have passed since the Nissan Micra was available in the Canadian market. To celebrate the car's return, Nissan invited journalists to a test drive, on a route designed to showcase Micra's features.

"The point is to share with the journalists the car, explain the car, and then drive the car in urban and then highway conditions. Let them experience the product. Let them experience the value of the car," said Meunier.

Micra's line-up here features the lowest cost of entry for many desired features. It is designed with today's Canadian drivers in mind.

"One of the things that sets the 2015 Canadian Micra apart is the fun factor. So for things like personalization, we have a wide variety of very affordable packages, to front and rear sway bars. We are the only country in the world that has that, so dynamically it is fun to drive, and it's fun to look at," said Tim Franklin, Nissan Product Planning.

The event for journalists was organized around another Canadian favorite, ice hockey. The Micra took guests on a city-wide treasure hunt to find hockey pucks hidden throughout the landscape. The quickness and agility of the Micra were key, leading to a hockey shoot out challenge with famous NHL goalie Jose Theodore.

"This car is going to be a real complement to the line-up. It is going to broaden our appeal to the Canadians. I think it is really going to help us get to an 8 percent market share, and that is really what we want to accomplish with this," said Meunier.