Should Nissan Offer This EV Here?
Nissan previews Micra battery-electric hatch, due on sale later this year in several key regions and positioned below the Juke and Leaf.
The small hatch will share its underpinnings with the Renault 5, but will feature unique exterior styling.
The retreat of the Leaf into a larger segment leaves Nissan without a small and affordable electric hatch in the US.
If you've been to Canada any time in the past 40 years, you've probably noticed that our northern neighbor receives a bit of a different mix of cars from the same brands. And some are more noticeable than others, even if smaller in size.
One of the more stealthy nameplates on offer in Canada since the 1980s (albeit with a hiatus or two) has been the Nissan Micra, which last made a cameo appearance just over a decade ago, becoming the smallest Nissan north of the border while catering to a segment not seen in the US for some time.
Fast-forward a decade into the present, and with the Nissan Leaf now being "promoted" to the rank of a compact SUV, the Micra is poised for a comeback as an electric hatch. And it will be based on the reborn Renault 5 E-Tech this time around, which itself became an EV just a short while ago.
Nissan has just given the world its first glimpse of the battery-electric Micra, revealing a design that will probably make some Mini execs grind their teeth.
The exterior design is certainly different enough from its Renault platform sibling, at least from the front, with the Micra opting for more rounded shapes compared to the French model's boxy details. But the profile of the doors and the position of the rear handles will give away its relation to the Cinq, even though the changes to the sheetmetal include uniquely sculpted wheel arches.
What could the new Micra offer?
If the new Micra sticks close to the specs of the Renault 5, we could see a very compact 40-kWh battery underneath, giving the Micra a 94-hp output with power sent to the front axle, and a range of 300 kilometers in the WLTP cycle, or 186 miles. A slightly more agile 122-hp motor could be on the menu as well.
A larger 52-kWh unit could also make its way into the Micra, once again following the Renault spec sheet, which could bring its range up to 248 miles in the WLTP cycle. And a more serious 150-hp motor could also be offered in the Micra, also powering the front wheels.
Another key feature of this platform that should not go unmentioned is the fact that the Renault 5 E-Tech starts at only $27,000 in Europe, prior to any incentives.
So far, Nissan hasn't confirmed whether any North American market will receive the electric Micra, though we'd be surprised if it skipped both Canada and Mexico entirely, given the growing popularity of small EVs in the latter country.
The case for Canada, or the US for that matter, could be a bit shakier, and not just because you can buy an electric Mini Cooper here, today.
Nissan's EV priorities have shifted quite a bit since the first-gen Leaf arrived on the scene, with a small batch of new and affordable EVs finally on the way, including an electric Juke. The breakup of the Nissan-Honda courtship before it even started has been viewed as putting pressure on Nissan to come up with its own EV offensive, able to rely on just a handful of existing partners including Renault.
These expanded EV offerings, like it or not, do not favor a Micra launch stateside, despite some signs of a growing appetite for truly affordable pocket-sized EVs. And so far, this relatively niche demand hasn't really translated into runaway sales successes, vindicating supporters of larger electric crossovers.
Should Nissan offer a small and affordable EV like the Micra in the US, or is this model more suited to the European market? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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