► We drive Nissan’s new electric Micra
► Re-engineered Renault 5
► Needs a USP to avoid being overshadowed by the Renault
The Nissan Micra is back! Well, to be honest it didn’t really go anywhere, and has only had a few brief respites away from car showrooms since it was introduced in 1987. But this new Nissan Micra is an electric-only proposition that brings an affordable, small EV with a useful driving range to sit beneath the forthcoming new Nissan Leaf.
It is, in case you haven’t heard, based on the Renault 5 – which is good news, as the Renault is rather brilliant. We’ve been for a drive in a prototype car ahead of sales starting later this year.
At a glance
Pros: Fun to drive, should be affordable
Cons: Not as cool to look at as the R5, short warranty
What’s new?
All of it is new compared with the worthy but forgettable outgoing Micra; new platform, new power source, new looks and everything. Perhaps the more pertinent question is ‘what’s new compared to the Renault 5?’ And the answer to that question may well be ‘not really enough’. After all, from certain angles you can clearly see the Renault 5 that’s hiding behind the Micra’s owlish gaze.
Having said that, the light signatures are rather cute and there’s a less aggressive, more cheerful attitude to the Micra that does set it apart from its platform sibling.
Underneath, the Nissan is much the same as the Renault, and given how much we like the R5 that’s no bad thing, is it? In fact, Nissan itself is completely happy to tell you that the suspension tune, tyre size and all is taken straight from the Renault. If it ain’t broke, and all that… The only big difference is that the Micra gets three-level adjustable brake regen’ mode, as well as a one-pedal mode, all of which can be controlled via steering wheel-mounted paddles. You’ll be terribly shocked to know that Renault’s already said that it’ll introduce the same regen’ system to the Renault 5.
What are the specs?
Unsurprisingly, the Nissan Micra has almost identical tech stuff to the Renault 5. That means that there are two batteries to choose from – a 52kWh NMC lithium-ion battery (that’s usable capacity, by the way) or a 40kWh lithium-iron LFP pack, although it’ll be the former that arrives first when sales start at the end of 2025. Both stream power to the front wheels, with the bigger battery car getting 148bhp for a 0-62mph time of 8.0 seconds, while the smaller battery comes with 121bhp and manages the same sprint in 9.0 seconds.
You lose a tiny bit of range in the Micra, compared to the Renault – maybe that’s because it’s a whole 5cm longer, at 3974mm from nose to tail, although the 2540mm wheelbase is identical. Anyway, at 1542kg for the big battery model, it’s still pretty lightweight by EV standards. It manages WLTP range of 193 miles for the smaller battery, or 254 miles for the bigger battery.
We won’t speculate on real-world range here, if you’ll forgive us this once. We only had a brief drive in this prototype Micra around a handling circuit, so the efficiency isn’t going to be terribly representative of your daily drive unless you routinely commute around the Nordschleife. Suffice to say that time in the Renault 5 suggests that you’ll get a real-world range of roughly 170- to 220 miles depending on conditions.
Rapid charging speeds are up to 100kW, for a 10-80% charge in 35 minutes from the bigger battery car. There’s 11kW AC charging as standard, too, but most will charge at a 7kW home or office charger, which will take around 7 – to 9 hours for a full charge. There’s also vehicle-to-load charging hardware as standard across the range, although you’ll have to pay a bit extra for the adaptor that you’ll need to make the most of it.
How does it drive?
Well… er… would it be a total surprise if I were to say that it drives a lot like the Renault 5? Predictable, I know. But true. And we’ve got no issue with that, because it means that the Nissan Micra 52kWh that we drove feels light and nimble, with just the right amount of power to feel satisfying zesty when you want it to – yet also ideally suited to the usual muddle around town or in heavy traffic.
The ride comfort is communicative enough that you’re aware of what’s going on with the road’s surface, but the damping still makes it feel cushioned yet well-controlled. A Citroen e-C3 will certainly deliver a more pillowy ride comfort than the Micra, but the Nissan has usefully more bite and satisfaction to its cornering responses, so we’d call this a very sweet ride- and handling balance.
The brake regen’ works well, too. You’ve got easy control over the three fixed levels via those steering wheel paddles, or if you pull-and-hold the left hand paddle to engage the ‘i-Pedal’ one-pedal driving. Whichever level you choose, it bleeds in nice and predictably, so it’s easy enough to get used to. The brake pedal feel is easy to modulate, too, and the regen’ integrates nicely. Basically, the electric Micra is a pretty breezy drive whichever of the drive modes or brake regen’ settings you favour; confident, yet wieldy and intuitive.
What about the interior?
The first thing you notice as you slide into the Micra’s driver’s seat is the huge proliferation of stalks around the steering wheel, which now looks even busier with those regen’ paddles added into the mix. Still, while the wheel appears to have more protrusions and antennae than the ISS, and the gearshifter remains rather cheap and flimsy-feeling, the rest of the cabin is smart and feels well put together. Yes, it’s the same basic dash architecture as the Renault 5, but at least the materials have changed, and you can even have an interior finish inspired by a Japanese Zen garden.
The touchscreen’s Google software works really well, responding quickly and benefitting from all the intuitive goodness of Google maps and other apps.
Space in the back seats is good enough for a couple of average adults, and you can squeeze three kids across if you really need to as this is a three-person bench, but they won’t be terribly happy about it.
The 326-litre boot is a decent size, but there’s a big drop over the high load lip and down to the boot floor, so it’s fair to say that a the Fiat Grande Panda, Citroen e-C3 or even the Hyundai Inster (though it has a smaller overall boot capacity) may be better if you’ve got a dog, or just have lots of stuff to lug around.
Full UK specs and pricing haven’t yet been released, but we are told that Nissan will offer heated seats as an option on the mid-spec Micra (unlike Renault, with the 5). So that’s one reason to go for the Nissan instead of the Renault..
Before you buy (trims and rivals)
Expect the Micra to cost from around £23,000 for the 40kWh car, and go up to around £29,000 for the top-spec 52kWh version. Full UK pricing will arrive later this year, with orders open in Q4 and deliveries before the end of 2025.
Verdict
The Nissan Micra is a fantastic little EV. It was always going to be, really, given that it’s essentially a Renault 5 in different clothes. There’s nothing objectively wrong with it – in fact, there’s a lot that’s objectively right with it. Nissan’s own regional product manager, Emmanuel Valin, summed it up when I asked him why he thought people would buy the Micra over the 5. His answer? “Because of the way it looks.”
So, there you go, dear reader. If you love the Renault 5 but you just don’t like the way it looks, Nissan has got the answer.