Nissan has unveiled the 20-23, an all-new city EV concept. This is essentially a glimpse of the next-generation Micra, developed to commemorate Nissan’s 20th anniversary of its European design facility in Paddington, London.
According to Nissan, the 20-23 concept honours the company’s engagement in the Formula E race series as well as its “heritage of bold hatchbacks.”
The concept was shown in front of Nissan Design Europe’s (NDE) headquarters by company president and CEO Makoto Uchida, with the central London location chosen to underscore the 20-23’s pitch as a “sporty urban” vehicle. The NDE team was given the task of designing a car “with no constraints,” and the result is an aggressively race-inspired design with massive diffusers front and rear, a touring car-spec rear wing, outsized wheel arches, and ultra-low-profile racing tyres.
The top scoop, racing numbers, Lamborghini-style scissor doors, and air-channeling louvres are among the other highly creative aesthetic cues that the firm claims maintain “Nissan’s tradition of bringing eye-catching playfulness to the world of hatchbacks and city cars.”
The design is identical to the Renault 5
Under the racy exterior, the 20-23 provides the best look yet at Nissan’s electric replacement for the Micra, which is set to go into production in 2026. It would be built on the CMF-BEV chassis used by Alliance partner Renault for the Renault 5 and Alpine A290 hot hatchbacks.
Some of the signals apparent in the side profile image are carried over to this idea, such as the two-piece circular LED light clusters and black ‘floating’ roof. Despite the fact that the 20-23 concept lacks the actual car’s rear doors, the cars have a similar form and proportions.
The concept’s interior is unlikely to appear in the production version because it is a “futuristic interpretation of a racing car’s bare functionality.”
To access their deep bucket seats, the driver and passenger must climb over foam-covered brace bars, and instead of a steering wheel, the driver grips a yoke-style device housing an array of switches and buttons, with paddles located behind it to adjust the performance of the electric motors and regenerative brakes.
The all-electric Micra will be constructed alongside the Renault 5 at the French automaker’s ElectriCity production facility in northern France, and will have the same power and range figures as its sibling (134hp front-mounted engine and 400km range).
Nissan used to sell the Micra in India, but it now only sells the Magnite SUV, which will soon gain another powertrain choice – an AMT-gearbox with the petrol engine.