- Nissan resurrects the Micra, which is now in its sixth generation
- Affordable city car has been given the EV treatment
- It is based on the recent Renault 5 and there’s a lot of crossover
Nissan has revealed details of the all-new electric Micra, which will eventually be joined by a heavily-revised Leaf, an electrified version of its Juke SUV and a soon-to-be-announced city car in a refreshed line-up.
The Japanese marque, which is feeling the pressure of increased competition and a tentative approach to electric vehicles, hopes that this refreshed model line-up can inject a bit of excitement.
The new Micra comes at a time when Nissan has stated that it will cut 20,000 jobs, close seven factories around the world and pause a number of new car developmental programs until it can steady the ship.
With over 40 years of history, the Micra certainly has the nameplate recognition to shift a few units and it is also based on same underpinnings that have already garnered multiple awards and accolades — the Renault AmpR Small platform.
Yep, that’s the very same one that it’s used for the Renault 5 E-Tech and the recently-launched Renault 4 electric reboot. This means the new Micra gets two battery options, with 40kWh and 52kWh up for grabs.
In the smaller version, drivers get 121bhp to play with and a claimed range of 195 miles, but the compact Micra weighs in at just 1,400kg… not bad for a modern EV.
The larger battery option can manage 253 miles of range and packs a more potent 148bhp electric motor that powers the front wheels. That’s slightly heavier at 1,524kg, but recharging is faster, with the 80kW rate allowing for a 15-to-80% top-up in around 30 minutes.
Sister company Renault has also offered its suspension system, braking and numerous driving modes, so it should largely feel like the nippy and fantastically fun Renault 5 E-Tech to drive.
In fact, there’s a huge amount of Gallic influence here, including inside, where the dual-screen infotainment array, switchgear and dash all look largely similar.
To differentiate the two cars, Nissan has drawn on its past and added round LED daytime running lights that sort of echo those seen on the 2002 European Micra. However, these modern interpretations now perform a short choreographed “welcome wink” when you unlock the vehicle.
The wider wheel arches, massive alloy wheels and a lower lip at the front help give it a more aggressive stance on the road.
Oh, and there is what designers are calling the “ice cream scoop” that runs down the side, which is essentially an indent that has been pressed into the surface just under the windows, “reminiscent of the shape a scoop would make if dragged across the surface of untouched ice cream,” according to Nissan.
Analysis: Shaking the old-timer image
The Micra has been a hugely popular model for Nissan in Europe, shifting more than six million units in the 40-odd years it has been on sale, but its image has historically given off elderly driver and budget first-car vibes (in the UK, anyway), rather than ever being something truly desirable.
The latest version is the first in its long history to not be sold with a combustion engine and Nissan hopes that this fact, alongside co-development with Renault, will help it appeal to younger buyers.
Nissan’s European marketing boss, Arnaud Charpentier, also told Auto Car that the Micra would be more expensive than Renault’s offering, hoping that it would come across as a more premium option.
But it is difficult to get away from the many similarities between the new Micra and Renault 5, with the latter feeling more vibrant, funkier and carrying a lot more retro charm… particularly on the inside.
Borrowing numerous elements from one of the most successful EV launches in recent years probably isn’t such a bad thing and let’s face it, the all-new Micra certainly looks a lot more appealing than previous generations.
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