"Ohh, the Nissan Micra, an iconic hatchback launched in the 1980s which remained popular throughout five generations. Now there’s an all-new version, and this time around the Micra has gone electric. Stylistically the new Micra takes inspiration from its great grandad with round front and rear lights giving a clear nod to the bubble-shaped generation from the early 2000s. Yet, dig a little deeper and you’ll notice this Micra has a lot in common with the Renault 5. We can’t blame Nissan for borrowing Renault’s winning formula, nor can we fault the overall package the Micra provides. It’s a well-equipped, affordably priced electric car offering a relaxed drive and a decent range. It should be a doddle to live with, but we’d love the Micra to have a more unique character of its own to help it stand out against rivals like the Peugeot E-208 and the Hyundai Inster."
4.5
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Running costs for a Nissan Micra
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5
The Micra is eligible for the new £1,500 electric car grant, which helps to make what is already an appealing package even more affordable. Nissan has pitched the price of the Micra directly against the Renault 5, but it has been a smidgen more generous with kit on some trim levels. For those who can charge at home, the Micra should cost pennies to run on a dedicated EV tariff and company car drivers will also reap Benefit In Kind incentives.
Reliability of a Nissan Micra
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
3/5
Nissan has built an average reliability reputation but doesn’t score as highly in surveys as other Japanese brands like Toyota or Lexus. However, it does have years of electric car experience going back to the original Leaf. We don't yet know how the Micra will fare in the long run but having fewer moving parts than a petrol or diesel car should stand it in good stead. Thanks to the shared foundations with Renault, you can also take comfort in the parts being tried and tested. Nissan offers an industry standard three-year warranty on the Micra, but the powertrain and battery have their own five- and eight-year warranty respectively for extra peace of mind.
Safety for a Nissan Micra
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5
The Micra comes with emergency braking, lane keeping assistance, lane departure warnings and traffic sign recognition as standard. On our test drives we found it had a habit of misreading the speed limit (or sometimes not picking one up at all), so we were pleased you can easily turn off any annoying binging and bonging by double pressing a handy switch which activates your preferred combination of assistance systems. Moving up a grade gets you useful features like adaptive cruise control and a reversing camera. In a move to outdo the Renault 5, the mid-range Micras also get blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alerts, which is a real win for the Nissan.
How comfortable is the Nissan Micra
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
There are three grades of Micra: Engage, Advanced and Evolve. These are accompanied by three upholstery options: Modern, Audacious and Chill. Each interior combination sets its own mood with a mixture of different soft touch fabrics, though they are less funky than the options available in the Renault 5. Front passengers will have plenty of space with useful storage in the centre console and door bins. The boot and the space in the rear are both on the smaller side, but they are perfectly adequate for a compact car. From Advanced grade upwards, you get added touches like ambient lighting and Evolve models get a powered driver's seat, heated steering wheel and heated front seats and as standard. Plus, unlike the Renault 5, these can be added as a cost option on mid-range models too.
Features of the Nissan Micra
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5
All Micras come with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10.1-inch central screen and a heat pump to help efficiency in cold weather. However, moving up a grade gets you a wireless phone charger, a reversing camera, a larger driver display, an array of driving modes and a Google-powered infotainment system. The latter is so easy to use we’d recommend upgrading for this reason alone. It has a built-in route planner which makes finding charging stops easy. Once you’ve confirmed your pitstop in the sat-nav, the battery will be pre-condition at the right time to make charging more efficient. Range-topping models get additions including a Harman/Kardon sound system, two-tone paint as standard and paddles behind the steering wheel to adjust the level of regenerative braking which in its strongest ‘e-Pedal’ mode can bring the car to a complete stop simply by lifting off the accelerator.
Power for a Nissan Micra
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
The Micra comes with two battery and power options. The smaller 40kWh battery version gets 120 horsepower and an official range of 198 miles, while the larger 52kWh battery option ups the power to 150 horsepower and has an official 260-mile range. Our test car with the larger 52kWh battery suggested it would comfortably travel just over 200 miles between charges in the real world which perfectly useable, if shy of the official figure. Out on the road the Micra is quiet, smooth and easy-going. It may not be the quickest EV on the block, but it is nippy around town and still capable of keeping up with motorway traffic. The electric Micra gets the job done without fuss or frivolity which is exactly why, just like its predecessors, it makes a solid choice for anyone looking for a practical runabout which is also capable of longer journeys.
Read the Nissan Micra hatchback (2010 - ) car review by Auto Trader's motoring experts, covering price, specification, running costs, practicality, safety and how it drives.
