Nissan Micra review
The new Nissan Micra takes the formula established by the Renault 5 and adds some Japanese flair
Our opinion on the Nissan Micra
The Nissan Micra is back and better than ever, with fresh looks and an efficient electric powertrain that will help to keep running costs down. Of course, these two attributes are also big selling points of the Renault 5 with which the Micra shares so much, and separating the two of them could solely boil down to which one you prefer the styling of. Nissan has done a decent job of giving the Micra a look of its own on the outside, while the decision to retain Renault’s in-car tech means it’s a user-friendly supermini.
We wouldn’t call the Micra fun to drive, but at least the ride is reasonably comfortable and the electric motor helps the Nissan feel nippy in urban driving. It doesn’t feel out of its depth on longer trips, either, especially in Extended Range guise.
About the Nissan Micra
The sixth-generation Nissan Micra is quite a step change from the five that came before it. Up until this point, the Micra has largely been powered by a variety of asthmatic combustion engines, but these have been consigned to history with the arrival of a fully electric powertrain.
One thing that the new Micra has in common with the previous generation is that it shares parts with a car from sister company Renault. While the Mk5 model had some elements of Renault Clio DNA in its make-up, the new Micra has some rather more obvious connections with the Renault 5, which is one of our favourite new electric superminis of the past 12 months.
Used - available now
2018 Nissan
Micra
47,467 milesManualDiesel1.5L
Cash £7,899
2022 Nissan
Micra
13,097 milesAutomaticPetrol1.0L
Cash £12,545
2019 Nissan
Micra
15,839 milesAutomaticPetrol1.0L
Cash £11,347
2017 Nissan
Micra
41,893 milesManualPetrol1.0L
Cash £7,299Specifically, the Micra shares its AmpR platform with the Renault 4 and 5, plus the new Renault Twingo, while Nissan offers a choice of 40kWh or 52kWh batteries (Nissan quotes the net usable capacity of each car). The former is connected to a 120bhp electric motor, while the latter comes with a more potent 148bhp unit. Power is sent to the front wheels on both cars.
As well as using the same platform and running gear as the R5, the Micra also makes use of a similar bodyshell. Nissan’s UK design team has given the Micra its own look, though, with distinctive circular lights front and rear, unique bumpers and bespoke body panels. It’s only the windscreen and roof that share obvious similarities with Renault’s supermini.
Nissan Micra prices and latest deals
Since the Micra qualifies for the Government’s Electric Car Grant, prices start from £21,495, which gets you behind the wheel of a Standard Range car in Engage trim. It’s £2,000 extra to upgrade to Advance spec, but the 52kWh Extended Range version starts at £23,245, courtesy of a bigger discount via the Grant. At the top of the range, the Evolve version is another £2,000 extra, and this only comes with the larger battery.
You can save even more by building your new Nissan Micra with the Auto Express Buy a Car service. We also have a range of Micra leasing deals for those who prefer a shorter commitment, and we can even help you to sell your car.
Performance & driving experience
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It won’t be a surprise to learn that the Micra drives in largely the same fashion as the Renault 5, thanks to the substantial parts sharing between them. However, that’s very much a good thing, because there’s strong performance on offer, and the chassis delivers a decent mix of big-car refinement and reassuring handling.
| Model | Power | 0-62mph | Top speed |
| Micra Standard Range | 120bhp | 9.0 seconds | 93mph |
| Micra Extended Range | 148bhp | 8.0 seconds | 93mph |
Electric motors, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed
While there are two power outputs on offer in the Micra, you can only get the more potent electric motor with the larger battery. The official figures state that the Standard Range car with 120bhp and 225Nm of torque manages 0-62mph in nine seconds.
The Extended Range version’s 28bhp power advantage and 245Nm of torque make light work of the extra 70kg that the 52kWh battery adds to deliver an eight-second 0-62mph time.
Both versions feel quick off the line due to the instant torque that’s available from their electric motors, and the standard car only really feels as if it runs out of steam at higher speeds.
The Eco driving mode setting throttles back on the car’s responses to boost efficiency, and Sport adds a twitchiness to the pedal that makes the Micra feel more eager to accelerate, but takes a bit of getting used to if you normally drive in the standard Comfort mode.
Town driving, visibility and parking
Most Micras will be used as urban runabouts, and here it performs well. It’s quiet and refined, and the ride is reasonably settled. The chassis is stiff, so the suspension fidgets over uneven surfaces, but it’s also very well damped, meaning the car doesn’t crash over bumps. The steering is light and quick to react, while all-round visibility is good, with a reversing camera fitted to help when parking.
There are four levels of energy recovery, and these are adjustable via the paddles on the back of the steering wheel. At its strongest there’s a one-pedal mode that harvests as much energy as possible, and can even bring you to a full stop.
Country road driving and handling
The Micra’s layout places the battery low in the floor between the axles, which improves stability in corners. While the Nissan feels heavier than your average petrol supermini, there’s plenty of grip and it’s sure-footed and inspires confidence. There’s a decent level of response from the electric motors, and the brakes feel positive, too.
Motorway driving and long-distance comfort
Since there are only modest power outputs on offer, the Micra is a little less responsive at higher speeds, but it still feels pretty accomplished at the national limit.
The seats are comfortable, the ride settles down and while there’s a bit more wind noise from the door mirrors, overall the Micra is a comfortable cruiser over longer distances.
We would recommend setting the energy recovery to its weakest here, so that when you lift off the throttle the car simply coasts. In the stronger settings, driving can become a little jerky as regen dips in and out.
"The more powerful Micra feels nippy around town and at low speeds, but loses some of its verve on the motorway." - Jordan Katsianis, news editor.
Range, charging & running costs
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Offering two powertrain options helps the Micra to give good value for money, even without the added discount that’s available with the Electric Vehicle Grant.
Electric range, battery life and charge time
The 40kWh battery model is primed for urban use, with an official range of 198 miles possible on the WLTP cycle. Driving distance will reduce if you use the Micra for consistent high-speed cruising, and this is where the larger 52kWh battery becomes the better option. It has a 260-mile range under WLTP test conditions, and is more suitable for longer motorway journeys. It’s our pick of the two packs.
We tested the 52kWh variant in chilly spring weather, so while some cold morning starts saw the car offer a predicted range of only 184-187 miles from a full charge, we extracted more miles from the pack as the day warmed up. To help take some load off the powertrain, the Micra has a heat pump as standard. We saw a return of 4.2 miles per kilowatt-hour on a route that included a number of motorway and dual-carriageway miles, and this meant a range of 218 miles is possible. Keep to urban roads and lower speeds, and you can expect that range to increase even further.
In order to make the Micra affordable without compromising on the high amount of standard kit, the Micra’s battery performance and charging speeds aren’t groundbreaking. The 40kWh battery has a maximum DC charging rate of 80kW, which can perform a 15 to 80 per cent top-up in 30 minutes. The larger 52kWh battery increases the maximum charging speed to 100kW, but that just means it also takes half an hour to charge from 15 to 80 per cent.
Both batteries come with 11kW charging as standard, so they can take advantage of three-phase AC power sources. From a conventional 7.4kW home wallbox, the Standard Range car takes six-and-a-half hours to fully recharge, while the Extended Range takes two more hours to go from zero to 100 per cent capacity.
One feature that Nissan has added to the Micra that isn’t offered on the Renault 5 is a pair of paddles behind the steering wheel that let you adjust the amount of regenerative braking on the fly. There are three levels of resistance, plus a one-pedal mode that’s capable of bringing the car to a complete stop without the need to use the brakes.
Frustratingly, the Micra resets to the default energy recovery setting, so if you’re a serial e-pedal user, you’ll need to re-select it every time you get in. It’s only mildly annoying, seeing as all you need to do is tap the paddles to reset it, compared with using the ‘B’ selector in the Renault 5.
| Model | Battery size | Range | Insurance group |
| Micra Standard Range | 40kWh | 198 miles | 21 |
| Micra Extended Range | 52kWh | 260 miles | 23 |
Insurance groups
The Nissan Micra’s insurance groups range from 21 to 24, depending on the battery size and trim level. Those group ratings are a bit higher than they are for rivals, because the Renault 5 extends from group 18 to 22, while the Ford Puma Gen-E is in groups 18 to 20.
Tax
The Micra’s pricing falls well below the latest £50,000 luxury car tax threshold for EVs, so it’s cheap for private buyers to tax, costing the standard £200 a year.
Depreciation
The Micra trades on its looks to stand out from the EV crowd, according to Nissan, although we suspect its arrival on the market 12 months after the Renault 5 has hurt residual values a little. After three years and 36,000 miles, our experts expect the Micra to hold on to between 46 and 49 per cent of its original value. In comparison, the Renault 5 is expected to maintain its value a little better over the same time period, ranging between 47 and 50 per cent.
Interior, design & technology
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On the outside, the Nissan Micra features styling cues inspired by earlier generations. The distinctive circular daytime running lights are a nod to the third-generation K12 Micra, while the fashion-led design of the exterior follows a similar formula that was adopted by the company’s Pike models (which included the two-seater Figaro) that were a hit with buyers in Japan back in the nineties.
All versions of the Micra are well equipped, with LED lights, a heat pump, the 10-inch infotainment and driver displays and 18-inch alloy wheels fitted to all cars as standard.
Our preferred mid-range Advance trim adds Google Maps to the satellite navigation system, along with adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and blind-spot monitoring, among other equipment.
At the top of the range is the Evolve model, which comes exclusively with the Extended Range battery. This features a Harman Kardon sound system, heated front seats and steering wheel (these are part of a £500 option pack for the rest of the range), plus two-tone metallic paint.
Interior and dashboard design
While the Micra has plenty of visual differences to the Renault 5 on the outside, the cabin has been carried over intact. It feels well designed and comes with plenty of interesting details, such as the waffle-style roof lining and contrasting fabrics on the doors and dashboard. There aren’t as many colourful finishes inside for the fabric upholstery, and in this respect the Micra actually echoes the sportier Alpine A290 over the R5.
The Micra’s seating position is a little high, but then it needs to be to see over the screen housing, which feels a little clunky and plasticky in contrast to the thin, low-profile housings you see in other Nissan models.
One Renault-inherited element which we’re less fond of is the number of stalks behind the steering wheel. There are no fewer than three different sets of controls to the right of the wheel, which can be confusing if you’re not used to the layout. One is the drive selector itself, which does without any form of Park mode and forces you to select Neutral when you come to a halt and engages the parking brake automatically. It doesn’t feel natural to do this, but it’s something you become accustomed to.
Materials and build quality
Overall, the Nissan’s build quality is very good for a supermini. The Micra is produced at the same ElectriCity plant as the Renault 5 and Alpine A290 in France, and everything feels tightly screwed together. However, there are elements such as the large expanse of scratchy plastic on the centre console and doors, plus the squidgy artificial leather on the dash, that might not fare well after a few years.
Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo
The Micra’s dual-screen layout feels high-spec and well executed for a car in this class. If you’re coming from a different Nissan, then you’ll notice there isn’t much in common between the systems, because in fact it’s a straight carry-over from the Renault 5.
The main 10-inch touchscreen is well sized and easy to use. Its menu structure is clear, and the always-visible options bar and climate control elements make it easy to navigate. The mid-range Advance trim has Google Maps directly embedded into the infotainment system, so you get active route planning, live traffic alerts and even location data, such as how many EV chargepoints are in use at public fast-charging hubs.
If you log into your Google account, it’ll even show all your favourite locations and suggest different destinations based on the times of the day that you usually travel. The built-in system is good, but wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are fitted as standard.
The driver’s display is highly configurable, but shows key information clearly. It can also display sat-nav instructions, regardless of which navigation app you’re using – but it can be a little slow when changing between views.
"The Micra has a few little touches that help to distance it from the Renault 5. Open the tailgate, and you’ll find an outline of Mount Fuji on one of the pieces of black plastic trim that sits on either side of the boot opening. There’s a similar design used on the rubber slip matt that lines the centre console tray, too." - Dean Gibson, senior test editor.
Boot space & practicality
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Small electric cars tend to be larger than their petrol counterparts to make room for their batteries and electrical systems, so while the Micra has enlarged external dimensions when compared with previous models, the amount of space on board hasn’t grown exponentially. There’s no problem with space up front, but rear room is tighter, while small windows, a dark roof lining and tall dashboard all contribute to the feeling that there’s a lack of space.
Dimensions and size
At just under four metres long, the Micra is marginally shorter than the last-generation supermini, but it’s nearly 90mm wider, around 45mm taller and has a 16mm longer wheelbase, which moves it close to the hatchback segment in terms of size. The extra height is entirely due to the location of the battery under the floor.
| Dimensions comparison | |||
| Model | Nissan Micra | Renault 5 | MINI Cooper Electric |
| Length | 3,974mm | 3,922mm | 3,858mm |
| Width | 1,830mm | 1,774mm | 1,756mm |
| Height | 1,499mm | 1,498mm | 1,460mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,541mm | 2,540mm | 2,526mm |
| Boot space | 285-1,106 litres | 250-932 litres | 210-800 litres |
Seats & passenger space
There is good small-item storage up front, including decent-sized door bins, cup-holders in the centre console and even a storage compartment that’s about the perfect size for a set of wireless earbuds – Nissan knows who its intended audience is. Front occupants also get lots of headroom and decent legroom, but the door sills are relatively high for a supermini.
Moving into the back seats, the first obstacle is the short back doors. Wheelarch intrusion creates a narrow opening, which can make access tricky, and those with long legs will also find a lack of knee room in the back. There’s a flat floor across the rear, but the high position means that foot space under the front chairs is on the shallow side. Headroom is acceptable rather than outstanding.
Boot space
The Micra has a 326-litre boot, which is about average for the supermini class. While the space is square with flat sides, the load lip is quite high, and this is compounded by the car’s relatively high ride height.
You can fold the seats down in a 60-40 split, although the canvas straps are easier to access from the passenger compartment than they are through the narrow boot opening. When folded, the seat bases don’t leave a flat floor, while the maximum capacity is 1,106 litres.
There’s no under-floor storage or cargo space under the bonnet, so you’ll need to store the charging cables in the main space.
"When lined up side-by-side it’s clear from the outside that the Micra has a wider tailgate than the Renault 5. However, this is entirely cosmetic and is down to the design of the tail-lights that are part of the rear door. It gives it more of a clamshell-style appearance than the Renault’s squarer bootlid." - Dean Gibson, senior test editor.
Reliability & safety
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While Japanese brands have a strong reputation for reliability, the Micra is at the mercy of its French underpinnings. But we don’t think that’s anything to be concerned with, because Renault’s recent offerings have performed well in our hands, without issues.
The Micra has a four-star Euro NCAP safety rating, which is essentially the Renault 5’s score transferred to the Nissan. So criticisms of that car are repeated, with the organisation highlighting the lack of consistency in the car’s performance with differently sized occupants, and the fact that it lacks a centrally mounted front airbag.
All versions are well equipped with safety-assistance tech, but Advance trim and above add blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise control.
In the most recent Driver Power survey, owners rated Nissan’s Juke and Qashqai highly, at 27th and 28th place, respectively. The company had an average finish in the Best Manufacturers poll, ranking 15th (out of 31). The Renault 5 and the Nissan Micra are too new for results to have come in from owners.
| Euro NCAP safety ratings | |
| Euro NCAP safety rating | Four stars (2024) |
| Adult occupant protection | 80% |
| Child occupant protection | 80% |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 77% |
| Safety assist | 68% |
Buying and owning
- Best buy: Nissan Micra Extended Range Advance
Thanks to the format of the Electric Vehicle Grant, the 52kWh Extended Range model is cheaper to buy than the 40kWh Standard Range model. Even if it didn’t have a bigger discount, it would still be our choice thanks to its longer kit list and better driving range.
Nissan Micra alternatives
Obviously the Renault 5 is the Micra’s main rival, and it remains at the top of the list for alternatives. However, if you’re not so keen on the retro-chic design of the Renault and want something that looks a little more modern, the Micra is an excellent choice. Prices are all but identical, so it could be a decision between which company has the more attractive finance offer, or even what colour you might prefer.
Outside of this pairing, Micras fitted with the smaller 40kWh battery could be put up against the Fiat Grande Panda or Citroen e-C3. Neither feels as well specified nor as substantial as the Nissan, but they are less expensive and have just as much charm. The BYD Dolphin Surf could be considered a rival, too, at its very high end, but the Nissan is infinitely better across the board at its price point.
The larger 52kWh model knocks on the door of more expensive rivals, but still sits below the electric MINI Cooper or Peugeot E-208 on price, offering similar range and kit for less.
Key updates of the Nissan Micra review
17 April 2026: Inclusion of driving impressions from our UK comparison with the Renault 5.
Frequently Asked Questions
Just like the Renault 5, it’s a great little supermini. It’s largely identical to drive and delivers similar practicality, so choosing between both cars could come down to which you prefer the look of.
Deals on the Micra and alternatives
