More than a tribute act: Nissan’s electric Micra is a carbon copy of the best EV

Dread Zepplin, Fake That, Oasish: every headliner has a tribute act.

And Nissan’s first fully electric Micra is being dubbed the Blobbie Williams of the new car market.

That’s because it doesn’t just follow in the tyre tracks of the brilliant Renault 5 EV; it uses the exact same rubber.

Prize open the Micra’s Nissan-branded packaging and what lies inside is the greatest hits of Renault’s incredibly successful electric supermini. From the batteries and electric motors to every chassis component down to the nut and bolt, execs at the Japanese car maker say the total number of mechanical alterations is precisely zero.

The price is the same too, starting from £21,495 when factoring in the Government’s £1,500 Electric Car Grant discount. 

So, what is the compelling argument why customers should choose the Micra over the Top of the EV Pops Renault 5?

Daily Mail and This is Money motoring editor Rob Hull travelled to the European launch in Rotterdam to find out if the Micra is more Deft Leppard than The Rolling Clones…

Nissan’s new electric era: The all-electric Micra shares a platform with the market-leading Renault 5 EV. Is it simply a tribute act or could it be the better option of the two?

More than a tribute act

There’s no point beating around the bush – let’s get straight into the nitty gritty and discuss the Renault-badged elephant in the room.

Yes, the Micra is a rebodied Renault 5. Unashamed Nissan bosses hold their hands up and say the very same. But there are three very strong arguments why this is the case.

The first is simply a matter of timing. 

Nissan and its French partner forged their strategic marriage some 25 years ago in an alliance designed to harvest profitability by sharing resources. That’s why the Qashqai parked on your driveway is underpinned by the same platform as your neighbour’s Renault.

When the 5 entered showrooms last year, it did so to great fanfare due to its retro nod to the eighties original and its stellar drivability. But Nissan’s hand in its success shouldn’t be overlooked. 

The Japanese marque played a vital background role in its development, as well as stumping up towards the cost to bring both vehicles to market. If the Renault 5 project were a band, Nissan would be the bass guitarist in the shadows rather than the flamboyant front man under the spotlight.

With the Micra hitting showrooms almost 12 months later, accusations of imitation are simply a by-product of it arriving second.

The new Micra is the fifth generation, with its lineage dating back to the 1983 original (far left). However, it’s the Mk3 ‘K12’ (middle, background) that has inspired the look of the first battery-powered supermini

Daily Mail and This is Money motoring editor Rob Hull travelled to Rotterdam to put the all-electric Micra through its paces before its imminent arrival in UK showrooms

Then there’s the Japanese company’s own financial predicament to consider, with Nissan posting a record £3.8billion net loss as demand for its cars in the US and China – its two biggest markets – crumbled last year.

Any mechanical alterations to make the Micra feel unique would too bring additional costs – something the Yokohama headquarters can’t afford if it’s to avoid an automotive break-up of Fleetwood Mac proportions.

Finally, and possibly most importantly, Nissan bosses told the Daily Mail they are using the age-old philosophy of: ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’. And having seen the resounding triumph of the Renault 5 in recent months, why would it want to mess with a chart-topping formula? 

Can you spot the difference? The Nissan Micra (right) and Renault 5 (left) are sister models underpinned by the same platform

Micra’s spit elliptical LED daytime running light headlamps are formed in the shape of those used for the 2000s supermini, as is the ‘gelato scoop’ indent that links the front and rear doors 

To the back, there’s another oval lighting motif and softer curved edges to the rear window 

It just about looks different enough…

There’s an art to redesigning a platform-sharing car to differentiate it from its mechanical sibling, and Nissan’s styling department has done an admirable job given the restrictions of the four-wheeled canvas.

While its French counterpart has very much leaned on the boxy trademarks of its 1980s icon to create a retro-chic look, Nissan has taken inspiration from its bulbous Mk3 ‘K12’ Micra, on sale from 2002 to 2010 – a car that many Britons learned to drive in, or had a granny who bought one.

And it’s in the UK where the looks have been honed, with the design team in Paddington responsible for its extensive cosmetic nip and tuck. 

It’s split elliptical LED daytime running light headlamps are formed in the shape of those used for the 2000s…