For decades, car fans on the weirdest corners of the internet have been scheming imaginary ways to offer Americans brand-new French cars. It seems like the closest we may get is Alpine mulling over a U.S. market introduction on the back of explosive Formula 1 fan growth, but that’s still a maybe. The fact is, outside of Bugatti, the nation of the stars and stripes hasn’t experienced a proper OEM-level presence of French cars since the 1990s. The new Nissan Micra probably won’t change that, but it should.
If this doesn’t look like any Nissan you’ve seen in showrooms lately, that’s because the new Micra is a Renault 5. I’m not just talking about how they share the same battery packs, motors, platform, and major tech components; I’m also talking about how they appear to share things like glass and the entire roofline, even the striping running down the roof rail. It’s not quite the full Roger B. Smith, but even if it were, I wouldn’t complain. The Renault 5 looks fabulous and feels well-made, so why not share the love?
Nissan has announced pricing for the British market, and the big news is that the base Micra starts at £22,995, or about $30,600 at current conversion rates. Now, that includes a 20 percent value-added tax, so it’s not completely apples-to-apples, but the result is one inexpensive electric hatchback. You even get a heat pump for that sort of coin, although you are stuck with a 40 kWh battery pack and 198 miles of WLTP range. Not brilliant, as the Fiat 500e with the 42 kWh battery pack is rated for 199 miles of range on the WLTP cycle but only 149 miles of range on the EPA cycle.
The big draw in stepping up to the mid-range Advance trim isn’t the £24,995 40 kWh model, but the £26,995 52 kWh model. It gets all the gear of the regular Advance trim, like adaptive cruise control and six speakers, but the bigger battery pack boosts range to a far more usable 260 miles on the WLTP cycle. That’s only a bit less than the 278 miles of WLTP range the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is rated for, and that thing got an EPA rating of 221 miles. Even if we just carry that 18-mile range difference as a conservative guesstimation, a small electric hatchback with a range north of 200 miles isn’t anything to sneeze at.
In reality, it’s the same price as Renault is charging for the 5, which makes sense considering we’re looking at more or less the same car. However, before you go thinking that the Nissan badge could be a backdoor to let French cars return to the New World, hold your horses.
Unsurprisingly, the Renault 5-based Nissan Micra is not slated for North America, and while it’s understandable that a sub-200-mile range on the base model isn’t what most people on this continent are looking for, selling a quirky French-ish car as a Nissan to Americans would be one heck of a way to bolster EV numbers in, say, EV-mandate-having Canada. Even in long-range form, it’s still £8,000 less than a long-range Hyundai Kona Electric, and considering the cheapest one of those starts at $38,470 in the U.S., the Micra could land in a nice ballpark. I mean, doesn’t it look more appealing than a Leaf?
Top graphic image: Nissan
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If the range was higher and the price was reasonable, I could see this being a decent hit in the US.
Too bad they also share the stupid c-pillar rear door handles.
Definitely would prefer smaller wheels and more sidewall. I think it would help.
Yes, unfortunately, that is true of just about every new car. They look like small children wearing their parents’ shoes
The UK has put it self in a good position for manufacturing and exports could be what Nissian needs to get it act together. Still very confusing with Nissans dealings then the ever changing terrfis if somehow the UK starts exporting. Still could be a smaller cheaper leaf I guess ? Without the credits they need something cheaper.
Remember that the UK automobile tariff exception only applies for the first 100k automobiles, and that was roughly the number exported to the US last year. So under the current arrangement any expansion in US export market will be subject to the 27.5% tariff number – a huge hit on any affordable car. The current setup mostly seems to be a break for luxury marques like Land Rover, Jaguar (if it winds up still existing), Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, Lotus, and McLaren. It certainly doesn’t have much of an impact on what most Autopians are likely to purchase new.
I want to understand the current relationship between Nissan and Renault. Are they getting divorced? I am surprised they are still collaborating in cars like this. I wish we could get these things, or at least put the same level of effort for their offerings in the Northamerica region.
“I want to understand the current relationship between Nissan and Renault. “
The alliance still exists, but Renault doesn’t exert as much control over Nissan.
But they are still ‘married’ to an extent in that they still do some joint designs.
Sort of like how Donald Trump and Melania are still ‘married’. Trump is like Renault. Melania is like Nissan.
Melania-Nissan doesn’t want anything to do with Donald-Renault… but she still shows up when necessary because she knows that if she didn’t, she’d get badly screwed in more ways than one.
Uh… Are the headlights supposed to represent the Nissan Logo?
When I was in Mexico last week I saw so many Micras I was reminded of driving my Boss’ Nissan March to Narita to pick up his wife who was arriving in Japan from the states.
Yes, it was small and tinny – but a decent drive despite running on the constant tolling of the speed chimes on the Shuto Expressway.
I could definitely see myself in one of these – Make mine red.
If it came to America w/o too much of a price bump (for tarrifs or whatever) I think they’d sell some… maybe more than just a few. It’d certainly be the only Nissan product here that I’d be interested in. Maybe if they only offered it in a single trim and no more than 4-5 colors to keep costs/inventory down? I really like the Renault 5 (and French cars in general, though I’ve never owned one) so a rebadged/restyled one from Nissan would be TOTALLY FINE w/me. Sure, some of the styling/details are a bit much, but so the F what? I honestly don’t care AT ALL. It’s a small/practical/semi-affordable EV that comes in at least one decent color and has enough range/performance for me as a daily driver. F everything else at this point.
I know the $7,500. federal tax credit incentive for EVs is going away (I couldn’t qualify for it anyway) but there’s usually still a grand or two from the state and/or local utility company, so pricing this around $30K would make it worth considering instead of a costlier Kona/Niro/Ionic 5/6, etc… Sadly, I doubt that Nissan would ever bring it here, since it would compete against/underfut their own upcoming third-gen Leaf (I like this much more than the more generic-crossover-looking Leaf). And to be frank, I’d rather have a Renault-based Nissan than a Nissan-based Nissan anyway.
Why oh why can’t we have decent, affordable small cars and EVs here in the US? The Trax/Envista have wet belts, so they’re immediately out of consideration, even though the Envista is available in that lovely metallic copper color. The Sentra is OK (I really like the simple interior) but only comes with a CVT now, so that’s a non-starter. The Mirage is going away and was just too dated/primitive anyway. The cheapest Jetta looks good on paper, but I bet VW window regulators and glovebox hinges are still made of cheapo plastic that brakes a month after the warranty expires and required hours to fix. The Scion iA was the last truly inexpensive yet decent Toyota (because it was actually a Mazda) but it’s been gone for years now (I still want one of those).
In my better/alternate reality, Renault, Peugeot, and Citroen all come back to the states and somehow manage to prosper, so Americans can enjoy their interesting and efficient small cars again.
I didn’t hate the looks until I saw the taillights.
I’m still shocked Renault allowed this. The R5 has an iconic shape, this dilutes it.
Those cowards at corporate don’t know what they’re doing by cockblocking us red-blooded americans from owning these little wonder wagons.
So Nissan is just putting Fiat 500e lights on Renaults now?
I like it, I’d use it as a commuter car.
That car is SOOOO freaking high right now.
The GPS probably forgets its destination every 30 seconds.
Just a TOWELIE license plate away from perfection.
Now that you said that, I can’t unsee it! 😀
Mais oui. But it is the journey not the destination. Each one should come with a Sartre novel, a baguette holder, ashtrays, and a 2CV fabric sunroof for the joie de vivre.
I think it looks fantastic! If we can’t have the Renault, I’d take this.
Renault needs to sell the Kwid here. I think they also have an electric version.
If it’s known as the Quid overseas, would it become the Washington in North America?
The Buck in NA.
Cause it stops here?
Those narrowed headlights and squat dimensions make it look like a little blue angry frog. The angry headlights actually work on a cute little hatchback like this. It gives the Micra a bit of attitude without making the driver look like they are compensating for something.
It’s definitely giving you the bombastic side eye.
Either that, or it’s irate with you for failing to recognize its Frenchness.
You may want to rethink using “Stars and bars” since that term is generally used to describe the Confederate flag.
Just give it a couple months and a few executive orders and he’ll be correct
To us Canadians, everything south of the
Mason-Dixon Line49th Parallel is feeling mighty Confederate-y.I’ve seen more Confederate flags in rural New England than urban South Carolina.
Fl is the champion (outside of the population centers), TN is second (in population centers).
Hey, not Illinois! We’re a safe haven for anyone “different”, like PBS viewers or Texas House Democrats. Plus, our Governor Of Giant Shoulders is gunning for Pres, and if he wins he’ll make maple syrup and snowmobile consumption mandatory.
I’m all for maple syrup, but climate change hasn’t quite made snowmobile ownership in Texas very sensible. In the meantime, take care of our Dem congressmen. Make sure you give them fresh water clean their litter boxes every day.
That will be a piece of cake, because unlike most of Texas, we have plenty of fresh water.
Also, I checked, and it turns out they use toilets. Imagine that!
Hey, thanks for all the smoke from your wild fires, btw. I’d prefer you send poutine but given our current political relations, I get it.
The brisket will be done any day now.
I knew that sounded weird, but couldn’t quite place it. Yeah Stars and Stripes please.
It has the Philip J Fry squint and I’m not sure if they meant for that to be.
I see it! Shut up and take my money!
Mine too. Gimme a base model in that nice blue and I’ll be fine.
Using the headlights and DRLs to make Nissan logos out of the headlights, while having it feel fun and playful with a bit of attitude behind it is incredible. For sharing so much with the Renault 5, I think it does as good a job of differentiating itself as you could hope for.