Nissan Micra (2025) Review

Introduction

There’s no denying the success of the Nissan Micra with global sales topping the six million mark over the years. Now we have the all-new six-generation model with lots of modern twists, but also featuring plenty of distinctive styling cues that are a nod to its rich heritage.

If you’re thinking that it looks like the recently-launched Renault 5, then you would be spot on as the two vehicles share the same architecture, a practical cost-sharing solution that is becoming more common amongst manufacturers these days.

But ,with those large round headlight clusters that even give you a welcome wink when you approach the car, there’s no mistaking the Micra’s identity.

Customers have the choice of three trim levels called Engage, Advance and Evolve with prices starting from £22,995 (before the government’s EV grant of £1,500 is deducted). There are also two batteries to select from – the 40kWh unit can deliver 198 miles between charges, while the larger 52kWh can stretch to 260 miles.

We opted for the top-of-the-range Micra Evolve with the larger battery, costing £29,865 for an extensive drive through the stunning countryside surrounding Rotterdam.

At a glance

The five-door Micra was designed at Nissan’s Design Europe centre in London and it boasts a distinctive look that is new from the ground up. While it shares the same AmpR platform as the Renault 5, everything externally is unique to Micra apart from the windows.

It boasts a modern appearance with sharp good looks, but there are definitely distinguishable features. Just like bygone Micras, it boasts large circular headlights that protrude slightly for added effect. All three trim levels have 18-inch alloys which are available with various design called Active, Iconic and Sport, and there are circular LED tail lamps.

Other eye-catching design cues include pronounced wheel arches, rear door handles integrated into the body and, running the length of the car, is what Nissan calls the Gelato Scoop. This one-centimetre wide indent was inspired by an ice-scream scoop, which sounds pretty bonkers, but actually looks rather good.

Customers can choose from 14 colours, many of which feature two-tone body and roof combinations. And there are hints to the car’s origins with small images of Mount Fuji embossed into the inside of the boot and centre console. And, if you look really closely you will see two vertical and three horizontal lines on the bodywork. Two in Japanese is Ni and three is San, so Nissan … sort of.

Key features

The Nissan Micra has plenty of appeal even at entry Engage level, where customers get a 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen and seven-inch driver display, Nissan Connect Services app compatibility, automatic air conditioning, a heat pump, four-speaker sound system and AC charging up to 11kW. This model is only sold with the lower range 40kWh battery.

Step up to mid-grade Micra Advance, available with both the 40kWh and 52kWh batteries, and you gain a 10.1-inch TFT display featuring built-in Google services. Also included on this trim is adaptive cruise control with stop and go, a wireless phone charger, multi-sense drive modes and ambient lighting, front parking sensors and rear-view camera, 18-inch Iconic alloy wheels, plus a six-speaker audio.

Finally, the Evolve grade, with only the larger 52kWh battery, gains a premium Harman Kardon sound system, e-Pedal with paddle shifts, two-tone paint, 18-inch Sport alloy wheels, ProPilot Assist with Navi-Link, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel.

Range and batteries

The Nissan Micra is sold with two different batteries. The 40kWh unit, which can deliver up to 198 miles, is available on both the Engage and Advance trim. The Micra Advance can also be specified with the larger 52kWh battery, which can achieve 260 miles on a single charge, and it’s this larger battery that is fitted to all Evolve versions.

All cars have a heat pump fitted as standard and this helps prepare the battery, especially in colder weather.

Performance and drive

Our top-of-the-range Micra Evolve model had the larger 52kWh battery with 147bhp and 245Nm of torque. This translates into impressive performance stats with the 0-62mph sprint achieved in 8.0 seconds and a top speed of 93mph.

To be honest, the car feels faster than those figures suggest with rapid acceleration through the single-speed automatic transmission. There is always a constant stream of power on tap making overtaking or joining a motorway from the slip road, a simple process.

It’s a car that fizzes through country lanes without a care in the world and its diminutive proportions result in agile handling on narrow roads and through busy town centres. The grip is assured and there is no sign of body sway in and out of bends. This is partly due to the vehicle’s balanced centre of gravity with the battery pack sitting low within the architecture.

It’s also a confident motorway cruiser, although there is some noticeable wind noise at higher speeds, and the driving range of 253 miles will also drop much quicker.

Drive modes called Comfort, Eco, Sport and Perso alter the handling considerably and they are easily accessed via a steering wheel button.

In congested cities the Micra is easy to manoeuvre and the adjustable regenerative braking settings, with a single-pedal option, is always welcome. Parking is made easier thanks to the car’s sub-four metre length with hands-free parking an optional extra on the Micra Evolve trim.

Comfort levels are surprisingly good too. Nissan has fitted a multi-link rear axle suspension system which is unusual on such a compact car, and this does a marvellous job of smoothing out any bumps and dips along the way.

Charging

The most practical way to keep day-to-day running costs down is to use a home or work-based wallbox to charge the Micra. The 40kWh battery can be boosted from 10 to 100 per cent via an 11kW wallbox in 3 hours, 40 minutes or in 4 hours, 45 minutes for the 52kWh battery. A 15 to 80 per cent boost can be achieved in just 30 minutes via a 100kW fast charger, but this will prove costly if it’s necessary on a regular basis.

Running costs and emissions

There is good news for potential Micra customers as it has recently been announced the car is eligible for the government’s new EV grant which cuts the cost by £1,500 across the line-up. That means the starting price for the entry-level Micra Engage drops from £22,995 to £21,495. The Micra Advance costs £23,495 (with 40kWh battery) or £25,495 with the 52kWh unit. And the Micra Evolve is £28,365.

Learning how to utilise the regenerative braking properly will be beneficial as it recoups energy that would otherwise be lost during braking or slowing down, and this in turn boosts the battery level.

The Micra has steering wheel paddles to control the strength of the regenerative braking with three levels on Micra Engage and Advance models, plus the addition of an e-Pedal on the Evolve spec. This will bring the car to a complete standstill when you take your foot off the accelerator and is ideal in busy stop-and-go traffic as you can drive using just the throttle pedal.

There have been changes this year that impact the number of financial incentives EV drivers get. For example, road tax now needs to be paid, costing just £10 for the first 12 months and then rising to the standard £195 fee.

But thankfully, no Micra models top the £40k threshold or the Expensive Car Supplement would come into force adding a further £425 to the annual bills from years two to six.

And anyone considering the vehicle as a company car is rewarded with a Benefit in Kind tax rating of three per cent.

Interior and tech

The interior of the Nissan Micra is beautifully crafted with less garish colour schemes than the Renault 5. Customers can select from three packs called Modern, Premium and Chill and there is adjustable ambient lighting with 48 different colours to choose from.

The cabin has a premium vibe about it with lots of plush upholstery, soft-touch surfaces and high-end fixtures and fittings, but it feels a little cluttered in places. The steering wheel has numerous stalks sprouting from it and the curved display housing both 10.1-inch infotainment screens is positioned high on the dashboard, so could block the driver’s eye-line.

However, Nissan has thrown everything tech-wise at this car, with full Google services, including Google Maps offering navigation with added details regarding the anticipated driving range at the end of a route, plus listing charging points along the way. There is Google Assistant which is brought to life by saying “Hey Google” and this can assist with all manner of requests from accessing the likes of Spotify or Apple Music to navigating to new destinations – all without the need to stop the car. There is also Google Play offering access to music, audio books and fun games to keep the children entertained. All this technology is kept up to date with regular over-the-air software updates.

Owners can also download a smartphone App that can help locate the vehicle in crowded car parks, set up remote charging and also pre-heat the cabin before a journey.

Additionally, the Micra has smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus a pitch-perfect premium Harman Kardon audio, reversing camera and full climate control.

Practicality and boot space

The Nissan Micra has plenty of kerb appeal and designers are keen to tell us that it is no longer referred to as a city car due to its slightly elevated ride height giving it compact SUV qualities. It stretches 3,974mm in length, is 1,830mm/2,020mm wide (excluding/including mirrors), 1,499mm tall and has a 2,541mm wheelbase.

Up front, there is ample room for two adults to sit comfortably and there is space for two or three youngsters in the back. Adults would find the leg and head room a little limited, but would be fine over shorter journeys.

Finding the best driving position is easy enough with the manually-powered seats and steering wheel offering a wide scope of adjustment. The seats also have powered lumbar controls. Driver visibility is good, although if you are on the shorter side, it may be an issue as the door panels and dashboard are quite high, as is the infotainment screen.

The boot is well-sized and can hold 326 litres of goodies, which is adequate for the weekly supermarket run and, if needed, the 60:40 split-folding rear seats can easily be lowered to increases the storage capacity to 1,106 litres. There is a compartment below the boot floor which is ideal for storing charging cables, but no frunk beneath the bonnet.

However, there’s plenty of handy compartments scattered around the cabin, including a glovebox, narrow door bins, a compact central cubby, seat back pockets, front cup holders, a small tray for coins etc, plus a wireless charging pad and USB-C ports.

In addition, the Micra supports Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) charging. This means you can power up external devices from the car’s battery, such as BBQs, kettles, air pumps, laptops and even another EV.

Safety

The Nissan Micra has not been tested for its Euro NCAP safety rating because mass production has not started yet. Nissan anticipates it will have a rating early in 2026.

But cars are well equipped with safety features and driver assistance aids to help protect occupants along with other road users. For example, entry-level Micra Engage comes with autonomous emergency braking, emergency lane keeps assist, lane departure warning and prevention, intelligent speed assist, a driver monitoring system, six airbags, an anti-theft alarm and rear parking sensors.

Micra Advance gains adaptive cruise control with stop and go, blind spot warning, rear auto emergency braking, occupant seatbelt monitoring, a rear-view camera and autonomous emergency braking with the addition of rear cross traffic alert.

Finally, ProPilot Assist with NaviLink is introduced to the top-level Micra Evolve.

Options

The list of optional extras to put your individual stamp on the Micra is quite limited, mainly because the vehicles are well-equipped as standard.

If you do want to personalise your car though, 18-inch Sport wheels are available on Advance models, costing £500, as is the Cold Pack, priced at £500. This adds heated front seats, along with a heated steering wheel. Additionally, two-tone paint can be added to the Micra Advance for a £1,395 fee.

Evolve models can be specced up too with hands-free parking at £500 and a Chill interior featuring cream grey synthetic leather upholstery and costing £400.

Rival cars

The new sixth generation Nissan Micra will be competing in an ever-growing sector that’s brimming over with quality models. Its closest rival will be the Renault 5, with which many platforms are shared, but they are anything but identical cars with a simple badge swap.

Other models vying for sales will by the MINI Cooper Electric, BYD Dolphin Surf, Citroen e-C3 and Peugeot e-208.

Verdict and next steps

Nissan has a rich history when it comes to developing electric cars – after all, the Leaf was the first mass-market EV when it was launched back in 2010. And now after a couple of years out of production, the ever-popular Micra will be looking to continue the success story.

The choice for Micra buyers is made simple thanks to the three-model line-up with the option of two batteries. Cost-wise, it is competitively priced and customers benefit from the attractive government EV grant too.

There is a lot of competition out there right now with plenty more on the horizon, and while many will make strong comparisons between the Micra and Renault 5, they each have their own unique character. The R5 is sportier and has some quite outlandish interior colour schemes. The Micra is more mature in some respects, but still features ample funky design cues. If it comes down to deciding between the two, it may just come down to badge preference at the end of the day.

Where to next?

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Micra (2025) 

**Correct as of 30/09/2025. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 48 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £3,093.66 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.