Nissan’s local boss has hinted at the potential for the Micra nameplate to return to Australia as an electric vehicle (EV), as the Japanese brand rejigs its strategy Down Under.

“It’s an interesting question [and it’s] definitely being looked at. Along with our entire portfolio, we’ve revisited our entire mid-term plan and said ‘what is our entry level?’ and ‘where do we need it to be?’, and ‘where do we want to compete’?” said Andrew Humberstone, the managing director for Nissan Oceania which includes Australia.

“Let’s not try and be everything to everybody, but at the end of the day let’s build our brand, let’s retain our customers, but let’s be authentic to what we’re trying to achieve, and in that find the right product.

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Above: Nissan Micra (top); Renault 5 E-Tech (bottom)

“Some of those will be cross-badged, some of those won’t be cross-badged, some of them are opportunities. So again, revisiting literally from the bottom to the top of the range.

“We’re being very creative and agile at the moment, but we’re in the heart of that work right now.”

Mr Humberstone’s reference to ‘cross-badged’ vehicles is a strong indicator that the new Micra is a chance for the Australian market, given it is effectively a reskinned version of the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric that’s also highly likely for a local introduction in the coming 12-18 months.

The Micra appears to be Nissan’s only rebadged vehicle from another manufacturer currently, given the X-Trail, Patrol, Navara are ‘cross-badged’ with different names in overseas markets, though a rebadged Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV will soon go on sale as the Rogue Plug-in Hybrid in the US – where the X-Trail is known as the Rogue.