The radically different new sixth-generation Nissan Micra has been created to appeal to younger, European buyers, in a bid to move the supermini away from being known as a “grandma car”.
The newest generation of the popular hatchback – which has amassed more than six million sales since first being launched 42 years ago – has been fully revealed by the Japanese firm as a twin to Alliance partner Renault’s electric 5. This means it won’t be sold with a combustion engine for the first time in its history.
The Micra is aimed squarely at buyers in Europe, a market in which Nissan is looking to grow after suffering heavy losses in recent years, necessitating a major cost-cutting plan.
It arrives as one of four new Nissan EVs due before the end of 2026, the others being the new Leaf crossover, an electric Juke and an A-segment model that will be twinned with the upcoming Renault Twingo.
The new Micra sits on the Ampr Small platform, drawing power from either a 40kWh or a 52kWh battery, which are good for 192 and 253 miles of range. In top-spec form, the battery can accept a charging rate of 100kW to go from 15-80% in 30 minutes.
As with the 5, alongside which the Micra will be produced by Renault in Douai, France, power is sent to a single, front-mounted motor that can be tuned for 121bhp (with the 40kWh battery) or 148bhp (with the 52kWh battery).
Beyond the electric powertrain, the biggest change for the Micra is its radical new design. While it was developed alongside the 5 from the start, Nissan designers were given the freedom to create something that “was more noticeably Nissan” – although “we had to fight for it”, exterior design manager Yongwook Cho told Autocar.
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If this was priced under the 5 I'd consider it, but priced over the 5? No chance! Sorry Nissan, not quite sure how you came up with this idea....
How can two such closely styled cars have such different levels of desirability? This is impossibly bland and contrived, particularly those catastrophic headlights, whereas the 5 just nails its styling to be 'the' car of the moment.
Why on earth would anyone choose the Micra, unless a massively cheaper price.
As Nissan were forced to use the 5 as its starting point, why didnt they channel the boxy Micra of the late 80's/early 90s (K10?) which wouldve worked much better than trying to apply details from one of the most spherical-led car designs (2002 Micra) onto a boxy base.