It’s unlikely to be the big seller it once was – but a new Micra from Nissan is still a major event for the car industry.

The curvy supermini has been a big success for Nissan, and the Sunderland plant where it has been built for the past two decades.

Nearly a million Micras, spanning three model generations, have been sold in the UK alone since the car was first introduced 27 years ago.

And it has been so reliable that Nissan estimates that 350,000 are still on the road.

But when fourth generation cars arrive in UK showrooms in mid-November, priced from £8,995 on the road, the Sunderland link will be severed.

Nissan has opted to build the new car in countries where labour is relatively cheap, like Thailand, Mexico and China. Micras for the European market will in the future come from Chennai in India.

This is not necessarily bad news for Sunderland – workers in the north east will continue to build the popular Qashqai and Note models, as well as the new Juke crossover and forthcoming electric car, the Leaf.

The new Micra range is limited to five-door hatchbacks, with just one engine and a choice of five-speed manual or continuously variable automatic transmission.

Intriguingly, there will be no diesel as Nissan believes its new three-cylinder 1.2 litre petrol engine is so efficient that there’s no need for an oil burner in the range.

Nissan has become renowned for producing cars with radical looks in recent years – the latest Micra is not one of them.

The fourth generation car has been given a conservative design in a bid to woo more male buyers. The firm says the previous generation car appealed predominantly to female buyers. The reason for the more neutral styling is Nissan intends the Micra to become a global model, selling in no fewer than 160 countries.

The fourth generation car is bigger than the old model, with a nice airy cabin, and plenty of storage room for knick-knacks.

Some of the interior trim looks cheap but it will be durable – and that’s what its owners will expect.

The car is tidy to drive, with a tight turning circle and good ride quality.

The 1.2 engine sounds peppy and should be good for 50mpg plus. Insurance and general running costs should be much lower than before.

In its heyday a decade ago Micra sales would comfortably top 40,000 a year in the UK.

But the car market is more complicated these days and there are so many new ‘lifestyle’ cars available that Nissan expects to sell only 17,000 Micras annually.

The new car will certainly appeal to frugal motorists in search of a spacious, cheap-to-run supermini – and who don’t want to pay the premium for a diesel model.