Nissan Micra NISMO EV hot hatch on the way

Nissan’s high-performance division is secretly developing a fast 2026 Nissan Micra NISMO hot hatch successor to the likes of the Pulsar SSS or the turbocharged Tiida SSS.

Refusing to rule out a hotter take on the latest Micra EV is just around the corner, Nissan’s European head of product planning, Christophe Amblard, told Auto Express that Nissan is “actively looking at all sorts of possibilities with its future product range, including widening the Nismo range”.

That’s the clearest that supports rumours the electric hot hatch has already been approved behind the scenes.

Paving the way for the Nissan Micra NISMO, the small Japanese EV was developed alongside the Renault 5 E-Tech in Europe, with the hotter NISMO version thought to be the sister car to the Alpine A290.

That explains why the Micra NISMO will feature a 160kW/300Nm single motor that drops the range to 380km. Non-NISMO variants use either a 90kW/225Nm e-motor that combines with a 40kWh battery for a 308km range, or the punchier 110kW/245Nm e-motor that gets a larger 52kWh battery for a range of up to 408km.

A less powerful NISMO version might also be offered with 130kW/285Nm but both will come with bigger brakes and a NISMO chassis tune that will enhance agility on both road and track.

Bigger wheels, wider arches and a more aggressive body kit will ensure the hot Micra lives up to its rich SSS legacy.

Thanks to sharing parts with the Alpine A290, the Micra NISMO is tipped to be on sale in Europe potentially as soon as next year, but the small hatchback’s return to Australia is less than uncertain.

Not sold here since 2016, sadly for hot hatch fans neither the Nissan Micra or NISMO version are ever expected to be sold Down Under on account of most buyer’s preference for larger, heavier SUVs.

Instead, buyers will have to wait for the arrival of the Micra’s sister car – the Renault 5 E-Tech, that is hotly tipped to be announced for a local launch before the end of this year.

The fate of its fellow 2025 European Car of the Year winner, the Alpine A290, is unknown. However, it’s tipped to arrive later in 2027, if the local outfit can find a suitable business case for a French Mini Cooper Electric or Abarth 500e rival.

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