Electric course change
The current Micra already managed to make the extremely well-lined previous generation forget, but it can be a lot more extravagant. That will be fine with the next Micra. That will really be a creative excess, which moreover no longer has to rely on old technology.
Almost forty years ago, the first Nissan Micra appeared in our showrooms. A model that quickly became an indispensable part of the Dutch street scene and of which the first and second generations sold like hot cakes. The nicely lined third generation had it a little less easy, but the previous Nissan Micra introduced in 2010 really struggled to lure buyers to the showroom.
In 2017 the redemption came and the current, more successful Micra appeared. It has not become a sales hit like its distant ancestors. The fact that he is still on the same platform as the previous Micra and thus technically quickly lagged behind group mate Renault Clio, did not help. Last year Nissan sold 1,065 Micras in our country, while Renault sold 4,634 Clios. Not to mention the sales figures of the Volkswagen Polo, Opel Corsa and Peugeot 208.
cuddliness level
That has to be improved and that is why Nissan is directly in line with Renault with the technology for the next Micra. In fact, the new Micra is irreverently said to be a Renault with a different look. From now on, Renault will be pulling the European cart for the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance and thus also provides the basis for the new cars from Nissan and Mitsubishi. The Micra will be a Nissan version of the new and fully electric Renault 5. The first teaser images, on which our illustrator based the future images shown here, make it clear that Nissan is doing everything it can to give the Micra its own unique face. Although much of the new Renault 5 can be seen in the basic form, the front and stern of the Micra are completely different. Nissan harks back somewhat to the high cuddliness of the Micra’s of yesteryear, but with a tough edge. Both front and rear we see round LED lighting. At the front, the piercing LED units in the middle of the ‘circle’ daytime running lights catch the eye. It seems to be a playful and distinctive design, which, just like with the Juke, is not easy to catch.
Nissan Micra (illustration: Larson)
Under the skin, it’s all one-to-one Renault 5. The cars will also roll off the production line side by side in Northern France. The Micra is on the same CMF-B-EV platform, a new base intended only for compact electric cars. So we should not expect a Micra with a fuel engine. Based on what Renault has already released about the 5, we can also count on a 136 hp electric motor and a range of about 400 km for the Micra.
A lot for little
Undoubtedly, there will be several versions, the cheapest of which may remain under €30,000. The Micra therefore continues as a kek-designed EV, but at the same time has to fall back on the old ‘a lot for little’ that the primal Micras had. We expect the new Micra in 2024 at the earliest, because then the retro Renault 5 will also be on the market.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl