Nissan has revealed that the new electric Nissan Micra will be built on the same platform as the Renault 5. The electric supermini will use the CMF-B EV architecture and is expected to launch in 2024.
The move to electrification confirms the current Micra will be the last to be offered with an internal combustion engine. Nissan previously introduced its all-new electric Micra and now the Japanese company has confirmed the new supermini will be the product of a two-decade partnership between Nissan and Renault.
“This all-new model will be designed by Nissan and designed and manufactured by Renault using our new common platform,” said Nissan CEO Ashwani Gupta. “Successful with our iconic Micra, I’m sure this new model will bring even more excitement to our customers in Europe,” added Gupta.
Nissan’s official images of the car have a more rounded design language, more suitable for the new version Nissan Ariya compared to the angular Renault 5 with which it will share its architecture. Our exclusive images provide an idea of what the new model will look like.
Rivals of Japanese brands for Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa has struggled to hit sales in its latest fifth generation, with numbers across Europe falling from more than 86,000 in 2017 to less than 40,000 during the Covid-hit 2020.
The costs involved in developing small combustion engine cars for the upcoming proposed Euro 7 emissions regulations look set to make it harder than ever for them to cash in, with Skoda boss Thomas Schafer recently pointed out that the price of one of Micra’s main competitors, Fabiacould rise to £5,000 if the EU7’s strictest proposals are passed.
Speaking to Auto Express last year, Nissan’s Europe-based Guillaume Cartier hinted that the company could create a successor to the Micra and acknowledged that it was investigating which Alliance resources might enable them. build such a car:
“The core business of today and tomorrow is cross- Juke, Qashaqi, X-Trail, Ariyaand the new car we talked about [the Leaf-replacing crossover EV], “I said. “There were five cars. Then for each car we had to make sure we had depth – enough powertrain to match the volume we had. We want to make sure that this core, in terms of volume per model, is growing.
“Then we use Alliance. We will work with Alliance to have a full range of LCVs [Light Commercial Vehicles]. But a topic is still open, and this is the entry point of the row. The bottom line is to say, ‘How can we offer something, potentially with Alliance, that will get people to join the Nissan brand, and then enjoy going model by model?’ It’s the one we’re looking at. That is exactly the question we have to address.”
The CMF-B EV architecture has been designed for Renault’s Zoe EV alternative, 5 retro-themed, allowed Nissan to answer this question. Alliance claims that the overall manufacturing cost of the platform is 30% lower than the electric version of the CMF-B that underpins the current Zoe. This means that small cars based on this technology can reach prices roughly the same as internal combustion engine superminis. The platform will also allow about 249 miles on a full charge.
The introduction of the electric Micra replacement will be close to the proposed EU7 rollout date of 2025, and Cartier confirmed that Nissan has no plans to invest in its engines and vehicles to make them compliant with the new rules. “Strategically, we are betting on electrification,” he said, “to the point where we are not investing in Euro 7.”
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