Nissan Micra Nismo on the way to challenge the hot hatch elite
Leveraging the work Alpine’s done on the A290, a high-performance Nissan Micra could be on the cards and our exclusive image previews how it could look
The Nissan Micra is fast on the way to UK shores, but it might not be the only model in the new electric supermini's line-up as bosses have hinted a hot Nismo model could be on the way.
We challenged the brand’s European top-brass about whether a high performance Nissan Micra Nismo was on the cards, and they didn’t say no. Speaking to Nissan’s European head of product planning Christophe Amblard, he constructively replied to our enquiry about a potential Micra Nismo hot hatchback, by telling us that Nissan is “actively looking at all sorts of possibilities with its future product range, including widening the Nismo range. But nothing can so far be confirmed”.
Such a car would help bolster the Nismo name, which the Japanese company is using as one of the “core” brands alongside Patrol and Juke. But beyond just being a branding exercise, it would also make full use of the new Micra’s platform, which we know is capable of handling more power.
Of course, you can’t buy a Nismo Micra yet, but you can search for deals on the Alpine A290 via Auto Express’s ‘Find a Car’ service…
And while Nissan isn’t flush with development cash right now, the Micra’s close alignment to the Renault 5 means the work that sister company Alpine’s done to its A290 hot hatchback could be an efficient way of giving the Micra more power and a more focused chassis.
The core of the Alpine’s changes relate largely to the new e-motor’s power, which is rated at a much more serious 217bhp in its GTS form, 69bhp more than the existing Micra. But it’s not just the more powerful engine that’s been fiddled with, as the chassis has also been given a wider track, bigger wheels, larger brakes and uprated suspension.
So while we’ll need to wait a little longer for absolute confirmation that another high performance Nismo model is on the cards, if Nissan deems it a solid business case, something built in homage to the original Nissan Micra Super Turbo could be just around the corner. That car, rather ironically, also had a secondary set of inset spot lights – just like you’ll also find on an Alpine A290. Watch this space.
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