What’s underneath?
The new Micra sits on the Ampr Small platform, drawing power from either a 40kWh or a 52kWh battery, which are good for 198 and 260 miles of range. In top-spec form, the battery can accept a charging rate of 100kW to go from 15-80% in 30 minutes.
As with the 5, alongside which the Micra will be produced by Renault in Douai, France, power is sent to a single, front-mounted motor that can be tuned for 121bhp (with the 40kWh battery) or 148bhp (with the 52kWh battery).
Beyond the electric powertrain, the biggest change for the Micra is its radical new design. While it was developed alongside the 5 from the start, Nissan designers were given the freedom to create something that “was more noticeably Nissan” – although “we had to fight for it”, exterior design manager Yongwook Cho told Autocar.
“Funky” design
Described as “audacious, assertive and funky”, the new look takes inspiration from the bulbous Mk3 Micra of 2002, especially for its circular daytime-running lights at both ends.
Cho added that “it was tough” when his designers were tasked with creating something that would differ visually from the “already good-looking” 5, especially given the fixed underpinnings.
One change from the 5 is at the front, where the bonnet is higher, longer and features slightly more bulky arches in order to give the Micra a different silhouette.
