Introduction to the 2026 Nissan Micra
After five generations of petrol power (well, mostly - there were a few diesel engines), the Nissan Micra supermini is going all-electric. It's no secret that it was developed alongside the Renault 5 E-Tech electric, though it comes to market a little later. A few months before its Irish introduction, we had the chance to drive a pre-production version at a special test day in France, set up for World Car Awards jurors.
Pros & cons of the 2026 Nissan Micra
Pros: Appealing styling, high-quality interior, polished driving manners
Cons: Would you have it over the Renault 5?
Exterior & design of the 2026 Nissan Micra
• Round lights hark back to “K12” Micra
• Black or silver roof options
• Easy to see bits shared with Renault
When Nissan took the covers off the new Micra a while back under the glare of studio lighting, its relationship to the Renault 5 was immediately obvious. And while that's not the worst car in the world to share DNA with, we're still glad to see the Micra in daylight for the first time and realise that it has a personality all its own. That's emphasised by the bold 'Rebel Red' paintwork of our test car, no doubt set to be popular in Cork...
The Micra's overall dimensions are:
Length: 3,974mm
Width: 1,774mm (excluding mirrors)
Height: 1,498mm
Wheelbase: 2,540mm
The Micra's look is clearly defined by its round, expressive LED lights front and rear, but don't underestimate the effect of gloss black for the door mirrors, on the door sills and on the unique bumpers front and rear. They work particularly well with the optional black roof. It's possible to have a silver roof instead with some of the paint colours.
A little titbit of information divulged by a Nissan engineer at the event tells us that the Micra causes a little less drag through the air than the equivalent Renault 5, which explains the Nissan's (slightly) longer range using the same battery packs.
Interior, practicality, tech & comfort of the 2026 Nissan Micra
• Look for Mount Fuji motifs
• Excellent infotainment
• Three interior themes
You won't find the same retro-inspired dashboard padding, headlining or seat upholstery in the Micra as has been so well-received in the Renault 5, but most of the rest of the cabin is retained, including the excellent dashboard layout featuring two 10.1-inch screens side by side.
One of those is for the digital instrumentation, the other a touchscreen for infotainment. The latter has Google built in and integrated with the car, so Google Maps has an EV route planner, Google Assistant is configured to interface with the Micra and Google Play allows downloading of various apps, including streaming services.
All of that is very useful and it works well, but it's the presence of physical switchgear for the air conditioning underneath that we're most happy to see. Shame then that the area behind the steering wheel (which also has plenty of tactile physical buttons as well) is so crowded. On the left side is the indicator stalk, which is fine, but on the right are the wiper stalk, the drive selector and a chunky extra set of controls for stereo volume etc.
Oh, and I nearly forgot about the paddles on the back of the steering wheel to alter the level of the brake energy regeneration system. In truth, it doesn't take long to acclimatise to the layout and smartly, none of the individual stalks feels the same, so you couldn't accidentally put the car into reverse when all you want to do is turn up the volume on your favourite tune.
The positioning of the drive selector does at least free up the space between the front seats, where you'll find loads of storage room for odds and ends, plus a little covered bin under the central armrest.
Ahead of that is a rubberised area that's part of the wireless phone charger featuring a subtle Mount Fuji graphic, a neat nod to Nissan's homeland of Japan. The same thing can be found in the boot when you open up the hatch.
Two USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket are provided, with another USB outlet for rear passengers. The floor is flat all the way across in the back, but given the compact dimensions of the Micra, nobody expects it to carry five adults regularly. Two will be happy in the rear for shorter journeys.
The boot holds a decent volume of luggage though (certainly for the size of the Micra), at 326 litres, expandable to 1,106 litres when you fold down the 60:40-splitting rear seatbacks.
Nissan Europe talks about three different interior themes - called Sport Chic, Zen and Comfort - with various colour and material differences between them to allow buyers some customisation. We're not sure at this stage if these will be available in the same way to Irish buyers.
Performance of the 2026 Nissan Micra
• Two power outputs
• Perky in 150hp guise
• Fantastic to drive
Nissan has managed to keep the weight of the Micra to just over 1,500kg, which is practically a featherweight in EV terms. That brings a lot of benefits, starting with performance. There's no need for a high-powered electric motor here.
We've not tried the entry-level 120hp model as yet, but the 150hp electric motor gives the Micra sprightly performance at everyday speeds. It's nippy around town despite the modest 245Nm of torque produced, too. Sure, performance tails off as speeds rise, but let's all remind ourselves we're talking about a compact electric hatchback here.
To maximise response you can press the big drive-modes button on the steering wheel to access the Sport setting, though we reckon the car is so well-judged in its standard driving mode that there's just no need to ever do that.
Backing up the perky performance is an agile chassis that neatly blends decent comfort with excellent stability and - whisper it - even a little driver involvement. Most buyers purport to not care about such things, but we'd wager that the same people will step out of the Micra after even a brief drive smiling and telling you they like it.
Its nimbleness helps with that of course, but a lot of credit goes to the setup of the power steering. It's quite direct, making the nose of the car feel responsive, darting into corners, yet it's not overly sensitive when all you want to do is get through a long motorway journey in comfort.
If there's any blot in the copybook, we don't love the brake pedal feel, though there's no doubting the stopping power. A few laps of a fast, unlimited circuit didn't faze the system.
You can alter how quickly the brake energy regeneration kicks in - and by how much - using the paddles behind the wheel and there's a 'one-pedal' driving mode selectable using the 'e-Pedal' button. I prefer the more 'organic' feel of this all set to the minimum as it provides for a more consistent driving experience as you slow down.
Range, battery & charging of the 2026 Nissan Micra
• Option of 40- or 52kWh battery packs
• Range of either 319- or 419km
• DC charging at up to 100kW
The Micra is offered with 40kWh and 52kWh battery packs, resulting in official ranges of 319- and 419km, respectively. Saving you the trouble of looking it up, those figures are nine kilometres more than the equivalent Renault 5 manages - all down to the Micra's aerodynamics.
We didn't get a chance to really test the Micra's efficiency on this occasion, though we've spent lots of time in the 52kWh Renault 5 and reckon most drivers should achieve 350km to a charge nearly all the time. No reason to think the Micra won't follow suit.
If you're going to rely on public charging a bit, it's probably worth going for the bigger battery, not only to maximise how much energy you can put into the car at each charging session at home, but also because it means a faster peak DC-charging rate, of 100kW. The 40kWh battery maxes out at 80kW. Usefully, both batteries can charge at up to 11kW on three-phase AC chargers.
Irish pricing & rivals of the 2026 Nissan Micra
• Pricing yet to be announced
• Needs to be similar to the Renault 5
• Well under €30,000 makes sense
Nissan Ireland has yet to confirm pricing, but in reality, the Micra will have to be competitive with the Renault 5 for it to sell. We're not sure how the two will be differentiated, design aside. For reference, the entry-level Renault 5 E-Tech electric is a fiver under €26,000 including the SEAI grant and VRT rebate, rising to a starting price of €30,995 for the 52kWh battery.
Verdict - should you buy the 2026 Nissan Micra?
Assuming the Micra will be more or less the same price as the Renault 5, then it really only comes down to which design you prefer, or perhaps the paint colours on offer (they differ) or even which showroom is nearest to you. It doesn't matter either way, as they're both excellent cars, which means the Nissan Micra is one of the best EVs to launch yet.
FAQs About the 2026 Nissan Micra
Does the new Nissan Micra have a 'frunk'?
No, there's no extra storage space under the bonnet up front.
How many child seats fit in the back of the new Nissan Micra?
There are two sets of ISOFIX points for child seats in the back of the Micra, as is standard across the industry. There's no way you'd fit another booster or indeed use the central seatbelt when those are in use though, and bulky rear-facing child seats may require the parents up front to slide their seats forward a bit. Saying that, the front passenger seat also has ISOFIX, which could well come in handy.
Does the Nissan Micra qualify for the SEAI grant?
Even before we know Irish prices of the Nissan Micra there's no doubt it will qualify for the SEAI grant, and it should be one of the most affordable EVs on the market.
Has the Nissan Leaf been assessed for safety by Euro NCAP?
It hasn't, but the related Renault 5 E-Tech has - and it picked up four stars out of a possible five. This was because it scored a relatively lowly 68 per cent for safety assist features, primarily due to its performance in the speed assistance, occupant status monitoring and driver monitoring subsections. Nissan, though, has a good reputation for 'democratising safety' and may fit more advanced driver assistance systems to its Micra as standard than Renault does to the 5 E-Tech, so watch this space.
Want to know more about the 2026 Nissan Micra?
If there's anything about the new Nissan Micra we've not covered, or you'd like help in choosing between it and other cars, you can avail of our expert advice service via the Ask Us Anything page.
