When a small car lasts through six generations without changing its name, there's obviously a level of trans-generational affection involved, writes Brian Byrne. That's the case with the Nissan Micra, introduced in Ireland in 1983, the same year that Shergar was kidnapped and never seen again. (Who was Shergar, you wonder? Yep, well that's absolute trans-generational and nothing to do with cars — a valuable horse stolen for ransom, it's believed by the Provisional IRA.) Anyway, between then and the end of the 'noughties', some 140,000 Micras were sold in Ireland. Over four of those model generations, it was the car that most people were likely to learn to drive in, and most likely to downsize to when they became empty-nesters. For the record, we owned a late 2002 version that served faithfully for a decade before suffering terminal damage in a 'timpiste'.
It's fair to say that the last two versions didn't make the same impact on the Irish market, up against a trend towards larger cars and a lot of competition in the segment. But now, the brand is aiming to win back a whole new generation, as Nissan's most accessible electric car.
Let's deal with the elephant in the room first. The new Micra is on the same platform as the Renault R5 and is built on a Renault assembly line in France. That doesn't make it any less a Nissan, and the styling sets it distinctly away from the French car.
As was the case with the second and third generation Micras, the designers of this latest one clearly wanted their customers to smile when they looked at their car. The big semi-circles of DRLs/indicators above and below the main lights up front — help to make that happen (they also 'wink' when the car is unlocked). These are reflected in the round styling of the rear lights, softening the look at both ends but without taking away from what is a purposeful profile. Nice that they didn't try to make it a pseudo-small SUV — it's a hatchback in the best of that small car tradition. Not of that tradition are the large wheels, 18-inch as standard, adding to the overall stature of the car. Upper versions have a contrasting black roof, giving it the popular 'floating' look.
Inside, there's nothing small-car about the driver space. A large panel integrates the infotainment and the driver's instrumentation. All graphics are big and intuitive — this is where the Chinese competition still has, largely, something to learn. Key climate controls are proper switches on the centre stack, and there's a single switch to change to preferred driver assistance setups (making most of the beeps and bumps switch off).
The driving position feels good and provides excellent visibility in all directions. The steering wheel is flattened top and bottom and is pleasantly grippable (remind me to tell you about the 'yoke' in the Lexus I'm currently driving. Gimmicky change is not for the best). I had plenty of head and elbow room, though getting in and out was a little iffier, but that problem is me being older and more stiff than I used to be. The new Micra is longer, wider, and has a longer wheelbase than the most popular one from 20 years ago. The cargo volume is 326L, a good 30 per cent more.
The powertrain has two battery sizes, offering rated ranges of 317km or 416km — the Irish market reality in this scenario is that most people buy the larger battery model, for an extra €2,000 or so in the Micra's case. There are three grades; the middle Evolve one is expected to be the dominant choice.
I had a good opportunity in my first drive event with the Micra to test the 'smiley' character. It's definitely there, and I look forward to more grinning when I have the time to take it for a full evaluation. Meantime, I think there will be many smiling owners already on the road by then.
Nissan has the longest experience in electric car sales, from the original Leaf's launch in 2010. More than any other, they arguably know best how to pre-qualify a customer for an EV — in other words, their salespeople are told not to sell one to a customer for whom it wouldn't suit. Nissan Ireland's own research is that 95 per cent of their EV customers over the decade and a half have been happy with their choice. The new Micra will probably raise that ratio even higher.
PRICE: From €25,995. WHAT I LIKED: Another car to smile about.
