Louth Motors: Driving School Hero to EV Thriller

​I’m torn. My favourite electric car if I am ever asked is currently the Renault 5. It impresses from the moment you clap eyes on it. The nostalgic factor is serious and anyone familiar with Renault’s history can't fail to be blown away by the modern retro look. It's very futuristic whilst at the same time drawing heavily from the old model.

​The Micra for those who don't delve too deeply on these matters is based on the same platform and mechanicals. Renault and Nissan are under the same motoring umbrella group called the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance. It saves developmental costs and allows different cars to be offered under different brand names that may suit some markets better. That’s why on holidays you see a Renault Clio with a Mitsubishi badge and scratch your head.

We got the Renault 5 a lot sooner than the Micra which seems an odd decision based on the Micra’s huge popularity here. Side by side with the R5 you’d be forgiven for thinking they are different, distinct models. The shape is similar but the front and rears are very different with only the sides showing the same silhouette. The R5 is angular with the Micra investing more in curves. The front and rear lights are very similar to the Fiat 500’s for instance and you don't think of the R5 which is a major achievement for the designers. The previous Micras were always the entry and exit cars of motoring. Practically every driving school used Micras and I’d happily wager that more people learned to drive in a Micra than any other car here in Ireland. When it came to downsizing, the Micra was top of the list. In between those stages it wasn't enough to keep you interested. With the new Micra that has all been turned on its head completely and it's safe to say the Micra can wear the desirable label effortlessly.

The decision to buy a Micra over an R5 is purely down to visual preference. The pricing aligns to the euro for similar models in the range so you are either Camp Renault or Camp Nissan. I’ve owned a Micra and a Clio and their characteristics were very different being the East v Europe. With the current Micra the difference is purely on the outside and visual because the insides are basically the same apart from the badge. I loved one aspect of the Micra and that's the Premium Harman/Kardon Sound system with 9 speakers, the max. you can get on the R5 is 6. I raved about the sound system in the Volvo EX90 and this is just as good with a fantastic boombox.

The inside is well laid out, fully equipped and functional. The infotainment is Google enabled which removes an awful lot of frustration if you embrace voice control a lot more - you should. The passenger rear space is not as good as it should be for a car of its relatively big size but it will be a comfortable ride. The front two passengers could not be better spoiled. The 326-litre boot is deemed adequate which is bigger than the runaway best seller the Yaris at 286l so no small boot arguments allowed.

Both cars are proving popular in sales and I suspect Nissan are raging that the R5 landed here first because in Ireland we have more affinity with the Micra. In a full year of sales with the Nissan dealers I suspect the Micra has a fighting chance of getting back some of their lost and errant customers. Time will tell.

I stopped trying to split hairs years ago so the ride in the Micra is the same as the R5 - and it's excellent. These are two of the best electric driver’s cars and my Micra experience was equally delightful, engaging and rewarding. I revelled every time I had to drive it and you don't get to say that about many cars and the fun per € spent is way ahead of anything on sale currently. Pricing starts at €25,995, with two trim levels and there are two batteries available 40kWh (316km range) and 52 kWh (416km range). I’d advise buying the bigger battery version. Consumption is quoted at 14.2 kWh/100km but mine was higher than that. The maximum recharging capacity is a low 100kW for the bigger battery that’ll take 30mins to get from 15% to 80% charge. This should be better.

So my summary of the Micra is that it is an excellent driver's car. It has enough design differences to allow it to stand on its own despite the similar shape profile. It comes very close to tempting me away from the R5 but the chic label the R5 is more tempting than the cute look of the Micra which is indeed very appealing. Then there’s that sound system. It is streaks ahead of the R5 and a powerful persuader and will be enough to steer some away from the R5.

If you are/were a Micra fan then the new all-electric Micra will certainly impress you and could well be the small car that persuades hesitant drivers to make the switch because of their familiarity with the iconic name. It also helps that the Micra is tremendous fun. Before we all got our first driving experience in a Micra.

It could now be remembered for being the car that gives drivers their first electric car experience/purchase.Where the Leaf pioneered electric driving for Nissan, the Micra may well bring that huge flock into the EV fold.