Report claims Nissan is following up the Micra with a reskinned Twingo that takes inspiration from Be-1, Pao and Figaro
Renault isn’t the only car brand with a fun and slightly weird back catalogue to raid for inspiration. While Renault has been busy reviving the 5, 4 and Twingo, Nissan’s now planning a similar move with some major help from its French partner.
Nissan is gearing up for the launch of a baby electric hatch called Wave, Autocar reports. It’s due next year, will be built by Renault alongside its Twingo sibling, and it’ll sit below the Micra in Nissan’s lineup. And when you remember that Nissan already used the new Renault 5 to reboot its own Micra, you can see the logic in the plan.
More: Nissan Let Its Students Build Whatever They Wanted And This Is What Happened
But the Wave could deliver a ton more retro charm than the Micra. It’s expected to take design cues from Nissan’s ‘Pike’ cars from the late eighties and early nineties, Pike being the brand’s skunkworks that dreamed up JDM cult faves like the Be-1 (seen below), Figaro, Pao and S-Cargo. Though based on simple Micra mechanicals, they all had far more personality, a bit like Renault’s new EVs have today.
Underneath the retro dress, though, the Wave will be a carbon copy of its Renault twin. So expect a 27.5 kWh battery with lithium iron phosphate chemistry to keep costs down, and around 163 miles (262 km) of range. It’s not a road trip car and not trying to be one. City-living younger drivers will be its core audience, and a sub-£20k (€23k/$27) starting price will be key to hooking them in.
Long Time Coming
Nissan hasn’t seriously played in this space since the Pixo disappeared back in 2013. If the Wave really does blend low cost, usable range, and a bit of retro charm, it might just prove that small cars can still have big appeal. But it won’t be the only car making that promise.
The Wave will have to battle with its own Twingo brother of course, as well as VW’s upcoming ID.1, which is likely to be called ID. Up when it goes on sale in 2027, plus Chinese competitors like the BYD Dolphin Surf.
Google News
MSN Start
Chris is a seasoned automotive journalist with over two decades of experience. He has worked… Read full bio

source