First Generation

Nissan released the first Micra in the UK in 1982 it was considered to be very contemporary, with its light and easy driving making it a big hit with learner drivers. The Micra was available with a few different engines including a 1.2 engine, and the option of manual and automatic transmissions. This generation of Micra was initially only available as a three door, but a five door was later introduced to make it more competitive with other superminis of the time. The first generation of Micra was incredibly reliable and as such it was crowned the most reliable car in its class in 1995.

Second Generation

The Second Generation Micra was introduced in 1992 to replace the first generation, which had a 10-year production run. It was available with new engines and new options including ABS, electric windows and power steering. This helped it to win the European Car of the Year for 1993, and it again received a lot of fanfare thanks to its reliability and versatility. The Micra received an extensive facelift in 1997 which included new styling, as well as updates to the interior to make it more competitive with other competitors. This generation of Micra is still widely available in the UK, and its still quite common to find them for sale in excellent condition.

Third Generation

The third-generation version of the Micra was introduced in 2002, inspired by the Nissan mm.e concept car Nissan had exhibited at the Frankfurt motor show the year before. Where the previous iterations of the Micra had received more conservative designs, the third generation Micra had a much more unique design, featuring a more bulbous silhouette.

In 2005 a third variant was introduced alongside the standard 3 and 5 door models, which was a hard-top convertible, which featured a metal folding roof. This Micra C+C was built as a reference to the iconic Nissan Figaro, although it did this in a more contemporary way. The Micra C+C was unique in a lot of different ways, however, one of the most notable things about it was the fact that you could have it in baby pink. The third generation Micra received a number of updates but was eventually replaced in 2010.

Fourth Generation

The fourth generation was introduced with a sleeker interpretation of the design language seen in the previous generation Micra. This meant that although the design was Bulbous in nature generally, it did this with sleeker lines, which helped it to look more modern. This Micra was available exclusively as a five door, which made it the first Micra to be available without a three-door model. The fourth generation came with a number of improvements over the previous generation including new options, such as navigation, and measures to reduce its drag ecoefficiency to help it achieve better fuel economy. It was updated in 2013, before it’s replacement in 2017 by the current model.

Fifth Generation

The latest Micra was initially unveiled at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, with a clean sheet design, that was incredibly sleek and angular, compared to its predecessors. It’s hidden rear door handles and sharp crease lines along the side help to make it sportier looking. The interior featured new materials that hadn’t been used before that made it more premium feeling, which helped it to win the First Car ‘car of the year’ award in both 2018 and 2019.

The Future

Nissan has shown teasers of the new Micra which will be based on the same platform as the upcoming Renault 5. This means that the new Micra will be available as an electric vehicle, which supports their Nissan Ambition 2030, to increase their electrified line-up. The design is not very clear in the teaser but from what we can see, it is going to be a huge departure from the existing design, with futuristic signature lighting and a sleek front design. Although we really like the current Nissan Micra, we are excited for the new direction that Nissan seem to be taking the Micra into the future.

Find out more about the Nissan Micra.