The new electric Nissan Micra is a sister model to the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric and shares a great deal with that Renault. Yet the two differ greatly in character. So much so, that Nissan expects the Micra to appeal to more women than Renault with the 5.
Do men and women have different tastes? If you believe the marketing agencies of, among others, cosmetic product manufacturers, then definitely. Razors and creams for men are marketed in dark packaging decorated with power terms such as Performance and Power, while in corresponding TV commercials you regularly see fighter jets or race cars flashing by. The alternatives for women are often surrounded by friendlier-looking cardboard. Nissan seems to believe that men and women are also attracted to different packaging when it comes to cars.
Alexandre Armada – high up in the ranks at Nissan Europe – tells Automotive News that Nissan expects the Nissan Micra to appeal to more women than the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric on which it is based. “The Micra is a more elegant model that will attract more women. The Renault 5 is a sportier, more masculine model,” said the high-ranking manager who borrows his last name from the American version of the Nissan Patrol.
That the Micra looks friendlier than the Renault 5, according to Armada, we understand somehow. After all, the new Nissan Micra is peppered with round shapes. It has large Fiat 500- and perhaps even Mini-like round eyes, round taillights and more curves in the sheet metal than the French original. Incidentally, the Micra does not only have different lighting than the Renault 5. A lot of sheet metal is completely different. From the front and rear screens to the doors. The hood and tailgate are also not interchangeable.