Nissan announced a new electric supermini for Europe that is set to succeed the Micra. According to the company the model is “designed by Nissan, engineered and manufactured by Renault”, and will be based on the CMF B-EV platform of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance.
The teaser video is showing oval-shaped LED headlights and
taillights merging with the bodywork, an illuminated Nissan badge, a short
bonnet, conventional mirrors and door handles, aerodynamic wheel covers, and a
rather conventional five-door hatchback silhouette.
The yet-unnamed EV will be the new entry-point in Nissan’s
range, which hints at an affordable price. Despite being engineered by Renault,
Nissan believes the Micra successor will keep its “Nissan-ness” thanks to the
unique design. The model will be produced at the Renault ElectriCity center in
Northern France, sharing its underpinnings with the upcoming Renault 5 which is
set to start production in 2022.
Nissan didn’t go into details about the market launch of the
vehicle but Ashwani Gupta, Nissan’s Chief Operating Officer, said the
“eye-catching compact EV” will be coming soon. “This is a great example of the
Alliance’s ‘smart differentiation’ approach,” he added. “Succeeding our iconic
Micra, I am sure this new model will provide further excitement to our
customers in Europe.” We expect to learn more about the upcoming EV pretty soon
with Nissan stating that “naming, launch timing, and technical details will be
released in due course”.
This will be Nissan’s fourth electric model after the Leaf
compact hatchback, the Ariya C-SUV, and the Townstar LCV, as part of the Nissan
Ambition 2030 plan alongside the e-Power hybrids.
