The New Micra Goes Electric But Is It Just Me, Or Is It Speaking French?
Image Credit: Nissan.
Who doesn't remember the original Nissan Micra? That cute, usually quite sensible little runabout that's been zipping around towns for ages? Sure, some people put 200 horsepower engines into that little mouse, and some even turned them into drift toys, but mainly it was a car that quietly provided transport for generations - no fuss, no drama. After many years of hard work, Micra took a little vacation, did some soul-searching, and is apparently coming back with an electric glow-up for 2025. And when I say "glow-up," I mean it's gone full-on electric, like it suddenly discovered a hidden passion for plugging in rather than gassing up.
Before we get too excited about sustainability, and saving the planet and all, there's a tiny little detail we should probably address. This all-new, sixth-generation Micra has a rather fetching French cousin. In fact, it's basically the Renault 5's slightly more reserved twin, all dressed up in Nissan's latest threads. Both are built on the same AmpR platform – that's "Ampere" for those keeping score at home, Renault's EV skunkworks. It is still fabulous, but you can't help but notice the "shared inspiration." Platform sharing is the new black in the car world - it saves a few pennies, I suppose, which hopefully means we won't need to remortgage our dog kennels to afford one.
Image Credit: Nissan.
Let's talk looks, because even an electric car needs to have a bit of curbside appeal, right? Nissan's European design studio in London has given the Micra a fresh face. They're calling it "SUV-like robustness," which in small-car language usually means it looks like it might be able to handle a gravel driveway without whimpering. It stands on rather grown-up 18-inch wheels, which are practically stilettos for a car this size – under 13.1 feet long and less than 5.9 feet wide. And the headlights do a little "welcome wink" when you unlock it, and a "farewell" display when you lock it. How utterly charming. Or possibly a sign it's developing a personality. I'm expecting it to ask for a bedtime story next.
You'll have 14 exterior color combinations to choose from, including some snazzy two-tone options with a black or grey roof. Heaven forbid your eco-friendly transport clashes with your ethically sourced handbag. The rear is all simple LED taillights with circular bits, keeping things neat and tidy. It definitely aims for that "stylish but not shouty" vibe, which I can appreciate.
Image Credit: Nissan.
Slip inside, and the theme of "understated elegance" continues. There's even a little molded outline of Mount Fuji in the storage space between the front seats – a nod to Nissan's Japanese roots. How very Zen. I wonder if it whispers haikus if you leave a window open? The driver gets a three-spoke steering wheel and a 10.1-inch digital display for all the important "are-we-there-yet" information. And then, taking pride of place, is another 10.1-inch touchscreen for your maps, music, and who-to-call-when-you're-lost needs. It's quite the digital command center for such a petite package. You can even pick from three interior upholstery trims: "Modern," "Audacious," and "Chill." I think my mood dictates I'd need all three depending on the day.
Despite its compact footprint – the wheelbase is a smidge over 8.3 feet – Nissan promises it is surprisingly spacious. And for all you folks who try to cram a month's worth of shopping into a car the size of a moderately ambitious loaf of bread, the trunk capacity is a rather generous 11.5 cubic feet. Not bad! You might even get a medium-sized Labrador in there, though I wouldn't recommend it. They tend to shed.
Image Credit: Nissan.
Onto the juicy bits: you've got two battery options, which is always nice. There's a 40kWh battery, good for about 191 miles of range, paired with a 90kW motor, which translates to roughly 121 horsepower and 166 foot-pounds of "get-up-and-go." Then there's the "Grand Tourer" version (I might be exaggerating slightly) with a 52kWh battery, pushing the range to an impressive 253 miles. This one comes with a punchier 110kW motor, giving you around 148 horsepower and nearly 181 foot-pounds of torque. Nissan has also kept an eye on the scales; the smaller battery version weighs in at about 3086 pounds, and the larger one around 3360 pounds. For an EV, that's practically Kate Moss. But for a Micra? Wowzer - the K13 tipped the scales at about 2,200 pounds… the Micra has seriously grown up.
Charging? Oh, it charges. The 40kWh battery can sip electrons at up to 80kW on a DC fast charger, while the 52kWh version can handle up to 100kW. This means you can go from a rather sad 15% to a much more optimistic 80% in about 30 minutes - just enough time to grab a lukewarm coffee. Both battery options also come with a heat pump, plus battery heating and cooling systems as standard. And for the truly tech-savvy (or those who like to show off at campsites), it'll have Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) technology. Yes, you can power your electric kettle or perhaps a very small bouncy castle directly from your car.
Image Credit: Nissan.
Nissan is promising a driving experience that's better than ever. The battery pack is slung low in the chassis, which means a lower center of gravity. Translation: it should stick to the road like jam to a toddler's fingers. Up front, it has independent struts, and at the rear, a multi-link setup. Multi-link suspension on a little city slicker? That's like finding out your sensible librarian cousin is a secret rally driver. Combine that with the instant electric torque and quick steering, and this Micra might just be a hoot to drive. We shall see if the French DNA adds any "joie de vivre" to the handling.
Of course, this is 2025, and the new Micra is packed with tech. NissanConnect with Google built-in services means your car will probably know more about your schedule than you do. There's also an app for checking battery status, finding your car (for those "where did I park?" moments), and pre-conditioning the climate control. Stepping into a perfectly temperate car has become one of life's little luxuries we can no longer live without. Nissan's ProPilot Assist is on board as well for semi-autonomous cruising on highways, plus a whole suite of other digital guardian angels.
The all-new, all-electric, and somewhat French Nissan Micra is heading to European showrooms later this year. Pricing? Not much available at the moment, but we can have an educated guess - Micra's French twin, the Renault 5, starts at just over $28,000 and goes up to $37,000 for the top-end model. That's a lot of coin for essentially a city car, electric or not. Will the Micra be a bargain, or will it require the sale of a minor organ? How times have changed… Will it ever come to the US? I sure hope so. For now, it's certainly looking to stir things up in the compact EV pond. A well-equipped, potentially zippy little number with a Gallic wink in its engineering.
