Welcome back Nissan Micra: “I guess most of us have a Micra connection”
I guess most of us have a Micra connection. There’s a high possibility that you either owned one or learned to drive in one, for they were the sensible car of choice for many people back in the 1980s. I owned mine for a couple of years in the 1990s. It didn’t raise the hairs on the back of my neck but it was reliable and functional.
They became less fashionable as they got older but you still see quite a lot about, a testament to their simple but solid build quality.
Now a new Micra is upon us, and it marks a new direction. It’s a premium model these days, more akin to a MINI than a cut-price hatch.
Some liken it to the Renault 5, the hot car of the moment which is making quite a splash with its vivid colours and seductive styling.
That’s not a coincidence. Micra and the 5 are built in the same French factory and share the same platform and batteries.
It’s affordable, at least compared to other cars. I know, £23,000 for the entry level rising to £26,000 for the well-equipped test model still sounds like a lot of money but you have to consider what you get for your money. In this case, quite a lot. It’s a world apart from early Micras.
It surprised me to learn that the previous Micra ceased in 2022. The new version, an all electric model, is in fact the sixth generation but it’s a world apart from the previous five.
It is a car with much to praise. It looks polished and stylish and it has great ride and handling and a range of 260 miles or so.
I was amazed how sporty it can be. I was driving it in eco mode and decided to try the sport setting, which from my experience of previous models is usually an overstatement. Not so here. Click sport and you can feel the extra punch. Everything seems to firm up, so much so that the comfort mode I tried later felt very wallowy.
Micra sits on the same ‘AmpR Small’ platform as the Renault 5, which is no bad thing, as the R5 is a great place to start. It also shares the same interior layout, drivetrains and mechanicals as the French supermini.
The exterior has been tweaked to differentiate itself from the 5, and there are different interior fabrics and materials used throughout to give the cabin a more grown-up and sensible look.
Micra is available with two battery sizes, which are the same found in the R5. Our test car is fitted with the larger 52kWh battery with an electric motor producing a total of 147bhp and 245Nm of torque. It dashes from 0 to 60mph in 7.8 seconds and on to 93mph.
Nissan claims that this variant can travel 260 miles between trips to the plug and that 100kW DC rapid-charging is compatible, taking 30 minutes to go from a 15 to 80 percent top-up.
There is a smaller 40kWh battery that can take the car a claimed 198 miles on one charge, and offers the same 100kW DC rapid-charging speeds.
This little car is best suited to towns with its light steering, tight turning circle and compact size.
However, the accurate steering and limited body lean mean it is fun on the open road too.
Micra looks very similar to the Renault 5, but that’s not a complaint as the R5 is one of the best-looking cars on the market. However, this Nissan’s design is more understated affair with a new nose that features a taller horizontal bonnet, while the side profile keeps the sporty stance with hidden rear door handles, and what Nissan calls the ‘Gelato Scoop’, which is a bold body line that runs down the side of the car.
Nissan claims that the front headlights and rear circular taillights have been inspired by the third-generation Micra, which ran from 2002 to 2010, while the rear also features brand-specific lettering and gloss black trim.
All models come as standard with 18-inch wheels, which give the car a bold stance and our test vehicle was equipped with a two-tone paint scheme, which just livens the profile up, even further.
Micra’s interior design and layout are taken from the R5, which features two 10.1-inch screens. It has a square-ish steering wheel and in an echo to French cars of old it has a high-mounted transmission selector.
It has narrow door bins, a small cubby hole under the centre armrest, an average-sized glove compartment and another storage area in the centre console. Rear seat legroom is a little limited.
Boot space is good though, with 326 litres or 1,106 litres when the back seats are folded down, which is more than a Citroen e-C3 and identical to its French twin, the Renault 5.
Here in the UK, the car is available in three different guises, which are all generously equipped. The entry-level Engage comes with the 40kWh battery only and is priced at £22,995. It includes climate control, an energy-saving heat pump, four speakers, a seven-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.1-inch infotainment system.
We’re driving the flagship Evolve, which is only available with the 52kWh battery and comes in at £29,865 before the EV grant which knocks £3,750 off.
It boasts a premium Harmon Kardon sound system, heated front seats and steering wheel, 18-inch sport alloy wheels and two-tone paint.
Nissan Micra Evolve Chill 52kWh: £26,515 with EV grant. Micra starts at £21,495 with the EV grant; 52kWh electric motor; Top speed 93mph and 0 to 60mph in 8.0 seconds; Range 257 miles; Up to six years warranty