The Nissan Micra is back! New supermini arrives with EV power and plenty of charm
The Nissan Micra makes a long-awaited return as an EV and is set to offer up to 253 miles of range
You’re looking at the striking new Nissan Micra, the iconic supermini that’s been transformed from a simple, inexpensive combustion-powered supermini into a much larger and more sophisticated EV. However, if you take a step back and look past its oversized glowing spectacles, you’ll notice it draws a certain resemblance with the new Renault 5, with which it shares its platform.
But this is no bad thing, really, because the new Renault 5 is one of our favourite superminis. So while the new Micra might lack a little originality, Nissan had a brilliant base to work with when making its all-new car something that will appeal to customers looking for inexpensive, spacious and yet well designed motoring with an EV powertrain.
The new Micra will arrive at the end of 2025 and although UK pricing has yet to be announced, we expect that it’ll mirror its French cousin, kicking off at around £25,000 and topping out at a touch under £32,000.
New Nissan Micra powertrains
Nissan will offer the Micra with two powertrains initially, both packing a single, front-mounted motor with one of two battery sizes. The first is a 52kWh pack, which powers a 152bhp motor driving the front wheels, matching the R5 on which it is based. Nissan hasn’t announced official performance figures, but the new car should match its Renault sister with an eight-second 0-62mph time.
Nissan will also offer a 40kWh model matched to a slightly less powerful 120bhp e-motor. Its 0-62mph time is a little slower, at nine seconds, but it’s still an impressive figure for a supermini.
We’re yet to drive the Micra, but these powertrains are more than adequate in the Renault 5. The Nissan is no sports car, so its performance probably won’t feel all that strong – that’ll be left to a possible Nismo variant – but it is plenty for the class, and definitely feels a step up on potential rivals like the Fiat Grande Panda and Citroen e-C3.
Range and charging
Nissan has announced a range figure of 253 miles for the 52kWh-battery model. However, we expect that, as we found on the R5, the car’s relatively upright shape and low-geared e-motor mean motorway driving will quickly reduce its efficiency at high speeds. A motorway range figure of more like 180-200 miles is more realistic. The 40kWh model posts 192 miles on the WLTP cycle, and will suffer the same compromises at high speed.
Charging rates are capped at 100kW on a DC fast charge for the 52kWh car, and 80kW on the 40kWh model, with up to 11kW AC charging from slow public or home chargers on both. At their quickest, both will top up from 10-80 per cent in around 30 minutes at a public DC fast charger. All Micra models will also include a heat pump as standard.
In addition, Nissan will offer Vehicle-to-Load capability, which allows charge stored in the car to power all sorts of external equipment. Eventually it will be able to be used as mobile battery storage for your house, allowing you to run your home from the car’s battery, which you can top up again at night on a cheap tariff.
Exterior design
It’d be easy to say the Micra is simply a rebodied Renault 5, but Nissan’s efforts to differentiate its car are fairly substantial. The proportions, dimensions and inner panels might be shared, but the body’s skin is new, and features a distinctive set of styling elements.
This starts with the body itself, which introduces a hollowed-out horizontal line, called the Gelato Scoop, that runs from front to rear. The R5’s rear haunch is gone, but the volume is still very much there, helping the car look squat and planted, just like the Renault.
Most observers will be hit by the eccentric front-end first, though, where the oversized oval daytime running lights loop around small rectangular headlight units and make the Micra look like it’s wearing massive spectacles. There’s no front grille, only a centrally mounted Nissan logo, with the main intake housed below.
The rear end also features oval-shaped elements, but here they’re smaller and more integrated into the overall shape. There’s a hint of R35 GT-R in them, and together with the reshaped tailgate and rear windscreen, they make this the most distinctive part of the design relative to the Renault 5. All models have 18-inch wheels and tyres, with only the entry-level model featuring steel wheels; the rest run on alloys.
Interior, practicality and tech
Inside, things are much more closely aligned with the R5, with a similar pair of 10-inch screens mounted on top of a simple, attractive dashboard.
Without direct references to a nostalgic predecessor, some of the cabin elements take a more overtly modern approach than in the Renault, with more technical-looking fabrics used across the seats, doors and dashboard. Nissan has also fitted its own steering wheel centre, although the controls for the driver’s display screen are as on the R5.
Embedded into the main touchscreen is a new NissanConnect infotainment system that integrates Google Maps and other apps. This is essentially a re-skinned version of the R-Link system inside the Renault, but as with so much of this car, that’s no bad thing.
The menus are easy to navigate, and the graphics clear yet punchy. The driver’s display has a good range of personalisation, and can display anything from the trip to active safety or navigation info clearly and easily.
Google’s integration into the main touchscreen interface also allows users to log in with their own account, meaning that any saved destinations or favourites are automatically shown on-screen. It also has the full power of Google to help out with the search function for any stops or charging information along the way.
At a little under four metres long, the new Micra is one of the larger superminis, but the space inside is definitely only average for the class. Thanks to having to package in both an underfloor battery pack, and the more sophisticated multi-link rear suspension design, leg and knee room in the second row suffers.
Although there’s no storage under the bonnet, the boot capacity is 326 litres – about average for the class – and if you drop the rear seats, this rises to 1,106 litres. The boot floor leaves space underneath for the charging cable, but when it’s set in its highest position, there’s still a lip between it and the rear seats. The interior loading lip is also pronounced, meaning you’ll have to haul items over it when loading and unloading.
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