The week began, in the motor world, with an event starring Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi. An appointment in which the three brands revealed their plans for the future: a new agreement that joins their paths for at least fifteen more years. A roadmap that includes new models such as the successor to the Nissan Micra: it will be less Nissan and less Micra.
In 2022, as indicated Automotive News EuropeNissan sold 31,105 units of the Nissan Micra in Europe: the figures come from Dataforce. The previous generations of the Japanese urban used to put on the streets of the Old Continent, on a regular basis, more than 100,000 copies per year.
an unsuccessful project
Until last year, the Nissan Micra was manufactured at the French plant in Flins: the same one where Renault also assembles the Renault Zoe. A project that, in the words of Luca de Meo, “was not very successful”. This agreement was an obligation for the Japanese brand: “Nissan was forced to do something that it did not want. Nothing was good: neither the car, nor the cost…”.
Something that, as they affirm, will not happen with the new model, since both parties will benefit from their association: “It is a very competitive proposal. We didn’t force Nissan to do anything: it was their choice.” They ensure that the next Nissan Micra built by Renault is the best example of how the alliance of the three manufacturers will work from now on.
Nissan’s change of decision
The dance of figures in the production of the Nissan Micra shows that something had stopped working and the brand had practically decided to abandon segment B… until Luca de Meo made them a proposal: with the restructuring of the alliance, it was possible to take the Renault 5 as a starting point to create an iconic model for Nissan. That was how he managed to convince them.
The new Nissan Micra will give Nissan profitable access to the small electric vehicle segment. They will not proceed as with the new Mitsubishi Colt and ASX, which are a Renault Clio and a Renualt Captur with a different logo. Although it is developed and built by Renault, they assure that it will have its own style: the teasers revealed in 2022 they showed a different design… despite the fact that it will share 80% of the parts with the next electric Renault 5.
The successor to the Nissan Micra is scheduled for 2026 and will be built at Renault’s factory in Douai, located in northern France. It is one of three production sites that make up the company’s ElectriCity industrial complex, which focuses on electrical vehicles and components, including batteries. The French brand will also manufacture the new Renault 5 there, whose launch is scheduled for 2024.