The Nissan Micra has gone electric, and might finally be a car you’d want to own

► New Nissan Micra EV revealed in full
► Shares platform and interior with Renault 5
► Launches late 2025 as part of renewed Nissan line-up

Behold, this is the new Nissan Micra. Yes, the fabled choice of octogenarians is back for its sixth generation, and this time it’s a small electric car, and principally a rebodied version of the Renault 5. 

Based on how good Renault’s new hit EV has proven, that should put the new Micra in good stead, especially with an interior and powertrains pretty much copied from the R5. 

It could be the best use of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance yet, but is the new Micra the magic bullet to solve Nissan’s financial woes? Well, it certainly hopes so, and the new Micra is one of four new Nissan EVs due to launch by 2027, including the imminent arrival of the next-generation Leaf, which has evolved into a crossover (naturally), a new Juke and an A-segment EV based on Renault’s new Twingo.

It’s only really the exterior that is the key differentiator to the Renault. Styled at Nissan’s design centre in London, the new Micra is similar to the R5 in that it sits higher up than a typical hatch, though it’s by no means a typical crossover to look at.

Nissan had already shown a front exterior image of the new Micra but this is our first look at the full thing. It retains the distinctive lighting signature seen previously that runs from the bonnet into the front bumper, and the big circular headlights that the Micra has become known for. When unlocked the lights are said to perform a ‘welcome wink’. Around the rear, the bold circular lighting signature is replicated.

Though Nissan’s designers have done a great job of putting their own stamp on the Micra’s design, it’s the side profile that gives away its Renault 5-ness, with a very similar profile. It also does without the bright yellow and green paints of its French cousin, with 18-inch alloys also fitted as standard. 

According to Nissan, the new Micra’s interior ‘recaptures a theme that has been at the heart of the model across all previous generations – simple, understated elegance’. That’s an interesting way of saying it basically just straight-copied the Renault 5’s interior.

Yes, the twin 10.1-inch merged screens are the same, and even the steering wheel buttons are borrowed straight from the Renault. The Nissan emblem is one of the only obvious differences. We should say this is really quite good news – the interior is one of the best things about the R5, and especially its Google-powered touchscreen, which the Nissan retains – though it’s a shame Nissan didn’t put its own stamp on it.

Dimensions are practically identical to the R5, so expect a similarly cramped interior for anyone not sat in the front seats, limited space in the back for adults and a 326-litre boot.

Mirroring the Renault 5 line-up in the UK, the Micra will be available with a choice of two powertrains. The entry-level choice pairs a 40kWh battery with a 122bhp electric motor, and claims a 192-mile WLTP driving range.

Above this is a 52kWh battery model, using a more powerful 148bhp motor and enabling a longer 252-mile trip between charging. Charging speeds of up to 100kW are available, and both models are able to charge from 15 to 80 pr cent in half an hour. A heat pump is also standard, as is vehicle-to-load technology, which allows external electrical devices to be charged using the car’s battery.

While the Micra name is not one that stirs up excitement, it is one with plenty of memories attached. Many of a certain age had one as a first car, often the result of being passed down from an elderly grandparent.

It’s now more than 40 years since the Micra arrived, and it remained a strong seller across its generations, though declined in its latter years. Nissan gave the Micra some well-needed street cred as part of the fifth-generation model in 2017, making it sleeker and lower, but even that couldn’t help it stay relevant, and production ended at the end of 2023.

Nissan says the new Micra will ‘stay true to its guiding principles as a stylish and unpretentious car, which has underpinned its popularity and success’. Sales of the new Micra will start late in 2025, with pricing likely to be similar to the Renault 5, which starts from £22,995.

Senior staff writer, car reviewer, news hound, avid car detailer.

By Ted Welford

Senior staff writer at CAR and our sister website Parkers. Loves a car auction. Enjoys making things shiny