Micra hits the right notes

Every so often a band records someone else's hit and the rest of us have to decide whether it's a tribute or a cash-in. The new Nissan Micra is a cover version. The original is the Renault 5, one of the most decorated small cars of recent years, and Nissan has borrowed the same chords, the same rhythm section and a fair chunk of the lyrics before adding its own voice over the top. I'm being a little unfair because both cars were created out of the two brands' long-standing alliance, rather than it being a case of one just copying from the other.

But even the ticket price is copied note for note. The Micra opens at €25,995 for the Engage with a 40kWh battery and tops out at €32,995 for the Evolve 52kWh tested here, which is exactly where the Renault 5 sits. In between, the Advance costs €27,995 with the smaller battery or €30,995 with the larger one.

That entry car is no stripped-back demo tape either. Standard kit runs to a 10-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a heat pump, 11kW AC charging, automatic LED lights, rain-sensing wipers, rear parking sensors, emergency braking, lane keeping and vehicle-to-load, so you can power a kettle or a laptop from the car. For the money, it's very well equipped.

There are two battery sizes and two power outputs. The 40kWh car has 120hp, a WLTP range of 317km and DC charging at up to 80kW. The 52kWh version gets 150hp, a claimed 416km and a faster 110kW charging rate. Given the distances I cover for work, the bigger battery is the one I'd pick, and the quicker charging takes some of the sting out of a mid-journey stop.

It's also the version that has the most fun. With 150hp in a car this size, the Micra is perky away from the lights and has plenty in reserve for overtaking. More importantly, it's fantastic to drive. The steering is quick and direct, the car changes direction with real enthusiasm and the ride copes well with patched-up back roads. The Evolve adds paddles behind the wheel to adjust the regenerative braking, right down to a one-pedal setting that becomes second nature after a day or two. Small electric cars are often sensible. This one is enjoyable, which is a different thing altogether.

Where Nissan has stamped its own style is on the outside. Those round headlamps are a deliberate nod to the K12 Micra, the bug-eyed version from the early 2000s that plenty of Irish drivers will remember owning, borrowing or learning in. The test car came in two-tone Rebel Red with a black roof, and buyers can choose a black or silver roof depending on the colour. The 18-inch alloys on the Evolve finish the job nicely. Parked beside a Renault 5, you'd never mistake one for the other.

Step inside, though, and the original recording starts to bleed through. The screens, the switchgear and the stalks behind the wheel will be very familiar to anyone who has spent time in the Renault. None of it is bad, and the shared parts are a big reason the price is so keen, but Nissan hasn't done much to hide the join.

The Evolve does lay on the extras. There's a 10-inch digital driver's display, sat nav, a wireless phone charger, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, sports seats with adjustable lumbar support for the driver and a nine-speaker Harman Kardon sound system that is well worth having. ProPILOT, Nissan's assisted driving system, helps with steering and speed on the motorway, and there is also blind spot warning and a reversing camera.

There are a few quibbles. €32,995 is serious money for a Micra, and the €2,000 step up from the Advance 52kWh buys mostly comfort and audio kit. The 40kWh car's 80kW charging limit is worth bearing in mind if you regularly travel long distances. And if you've driven the Renault, the cabin will feel more like a remix than a new release.

Covers rarely outshine the original, and this one doesn't need to. The Micra plays the same tune just as well, at the same price, in a voice that a lot of Irish motorists will recognise from years gone by. The 52kWh Advance is the sweet spot in the range, but the Evolve is a very easy car to like. Nissan has a hit on its hands, but then again, perhaps the Micra is more a catchy remix than a cover.