Renault 5, Alpine A290, Nissan Micra: the ultimate comparison of electric triplets

Here's a family story like the automotive industry increasingly produces. Take a solid technical platform, share it among several brands in the same group, and you get cars that, beneath the bodywork, are true sisters. This is exactly the case with three electric vehicles making headlines: the Renault 5, the Alpine A290, and the Nissan Micra. All three are built on the same foundation, the AmpR Small platform developed by Renault, and are even assembled in France, in Douai. Three cousins, then — but three radically different characters. We put each through the wringer in detail, then we separate them criterion by criterion.

One platform, three personalities

Sharing a platform doesn't mean looking alike. It means pooling the essential invisible elements — architecture, batteries, part of the electronics and engines — to divide development costs, then letting each brand lay its own bodywork, settings and positioning on top. On this AmpR Small base (also called CMF-BEV, designed specifically for affordable small electric vehicles), Renault built the popular icon, Alpine the spirited sports car, and Nissan a cousin with distinctive style. Three cars that share their DNA but don't appeal to the same buyer. Here's why.

Renault 5 E-Tech: the icon and range mainstay

It's the star and the family's template. By resurrecting the name and silhouette of the 1972 R5 — that little diamond shape that powered France for two decades — Renault pulled off a rare feat: making something new from nostalgia without falling into pastiche. The line is short (under 4 meters), stocky, immediately recognizable, with this clever wink on the hood where the old air intake becomes a charge indicator. The result convinced even the jury of the prestigious 2025 Car of the Year election, which it won (jointly with the Alpine A290).

Under the front hood, the 5 comes in three power levels to cover all needs and all budgets: a 95-horsepower engine at the entry level, then 120 and finally 150 horsepower. In its most muscular version (150 hp, large battery), it dispatches 0 to 100 km/h in 7.5 seconds — more than quick enough for a city car. On the energy front, two lithium-ion batteries are on the menu: a 40 kWh (around 310 km of WLTP range) and a 52 kWh (around 410 km), covering everything from city driving to regular commutes. Fast charging reaches 80 or 100 kW in direct current (15 to 80% in around thirty minutes), while an 11 kW three-phase onboard charger speeds up charging at home or at public stations.

The real bonus at this price point comes down to two acronyms: the 5 is natively compatible with V2G (bidirectional charging, it can feed electricity back into the grid and become a small battery on wheels) and V2L (it directly powers an e-bike, a computer or a camping stove at a picnic). On board, the atmosphere is cheerful and well-finished: the OpenR Link system integrates Google with its voice assistant, navigation and an endearing in-house avatar called "Reno," and interior space remains adequate for the segment, trunk included. The range spans Evolution, Techno and then Iconic Five trims, starting at around 25,000 euros. And it's not resting on its laurels: for 2026, the battery and engine are modernized (Renault aims for up to 500 km of range), the palette gains a deep blue Gordini-inspired hue enhanced with golden touches, and a special "Roland-Garros" series tops the range with its 18-inch diamond-cut wheels. In a word: the most balanced, the most appealing, and the best charm-to-price ratio of the three.

Alpine A290: the supercharged sister

Take the same Renault 5, hand it over to Alpine's sports engineers, and you get the A290 — the first "mainstream" car from the Dieppe brand, the one that must democratize the myth without betraying it. Visually, the kinship jumps out, but the A290 impresses: widened tracks by about six centimeters, lowered body, specific bumpers, dedicated wheels and this cross-shaped light signature (the famous "X" of rally auxiliary headlights) that leaves no doubt about its intentions.

The range consists of four versions: the GT and GT Premium develop 180 horsepower, while the GT Performance and GTS climb to 220 horsepower. Armed thus, the A290 dispatches 0 to 100 km/h in around 6.4 seconds. But the essentials play out elsewhere than in the power figures. Alpine has seriously muscled up the chassis: reworked suspension, specific tuning, and especially Brembo four-piston front brakes, directly borrowed from the A110 sports car, paired depending on versions with Michelin Pilot Sport 5 or 5S tires. On board, you'll find enveloping sport seats, an "overtake" command on the steering wheel (a red button, like in Formula 1, to unleash all the horsepower at once) and a genuine telemetry computer integrated into the infotainment, capable of recording lap times and accelerations.

The downside is twofold. First, the price: expect rather 35,000 to 40,000 euros, a good third more than the Renault it derives from. Next, range, which lags a bit (around 380 km with the 52 kWh battery), as performance and large tires consume more. But the A290 offers what the other two don't: the driving pleasure of an authentic little electric sports car, incisive front-end response, a differential that helps corner exit, and the aura of a racing brand. Co-elected 2025 Car of the Year, it proves that electrification and fun aren't incompatible. It's the choice of the heart, for the enthusiast with the budget.

Nissan Micra: the cousin with its own style

Here's the least expected of the trio, and perhaps the most surprising. The new Nissan Micra has nothing in common, in appearance, with its gasoline predecessors that drove in every driving school: it's now an electric car built on the same base as the Renault 5, alongside which it's moreover produced in northern France, within the Renault-Nissan alliance. But Nissan refused to deliver a mere rebadged Renault: the brand completely redesigned the bodywork, full of curves, with perfectly circular headlights and taillights — a nod to the Micras of old and a visual identity opposite the taut, geometric lines of the R5. From front and back, impossible to confuse them.

Under the bodywork, however, you find the family's mechanics, declined in two levels: 121 horsepower with the 40 kWh battery (around 317 km of range), or 148 horsepower with the 52 kWh (up to nearly 416 km). The cabin features dual 10.1-inch screens — one for instrumentation, the other for infotainment — with Google integrated on higher trims and a comprehensive suite of driver assistance features (adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear traffic alert, reversing camera). The range revolves around three trims — Engage, Advance and Evolve — for prices in the same zone as the Renault, around 25,000 to 30,000 euros. The Micra's appeal? Offering exactly the same core qualities as the R5 — interior space, range, driving pleasure — in a radically different outfit, for those who'd prefer Nissan's style, don't want to drive "everyone's car," or find a better commercial offer at their Nissan dealer.

The match, criterion by criterion

Price and value for money: the Renault 5 and Nissan Micra play in the same league (starting from 25,000 to 30,000 euros), while the Alpine A290 demands a significantly higher budget (35,000 to 40,000 euros). For pure wallet considerations, the R5 maintains an edge thanks to its better-positioned entry level and brand recognition.

Range and charging: the three share the same batteries, so the same ballpark figures (up to ~410-416 km). The Micra and R5 optimize this potential slightly better than the A290, which is heavier and more thirsty. On this front, advantage to the two city cars, with a slight edge to the R5 and its unique bidirectional charging in this trio.

Driving pleasure: no contest, the Alpine A290 dominates. Sharp chassis, Brembo brakes, responsive steering, it's the only one to offer a genuine little sports car experience. The R5 and Micra remain pleasant and sprightly in the city, but aim for comfort and versatility, not lap times.

Style and personality: a matter of taste. The R5 plays the consensus retro-chic card, the A290 the athletic and exclusive register, the Micra charming roundness and differentiation. Perhaps this is where each stands out most — and where the choice becomes a matter of the heart.

Technology and in-car life: overall tie, since all three share the foundation (screens, Google, driver assistance). The R5 stands out with its "Reno" avatar and V2G charging; the A290 with its telemetry; the Micra with its singular cabin atmosphere.

So, which one to choose?

No wrong answer here — only profiles. You want the best balance, retro charm and the most attractive price-to-value ratio? The Renault 5 is both the choice of reason and the heart: it's the one that launched the movement, it remains the benchmark, with clever equipment like bidirectional charging on top. You're a driving enthusiast, ready to pay for a true little electric sports car, its Brembo brakes and the prestige of a racing brand? The Alpine A290 awaits you. You love the R5's mechanics and space but prefer a softer, rounder, more discreet style, or you find a better offer at your Nissan dealer? The Micra does exactly the same job with a different personality.

That's the whole beauty of these shared platforms: they democratize excellent engineering. Whether you drive a Renault, an Alpine or a Nissan, you benefit from the same solid foundations, the same range and the same French manufacturing — it remains only to choose the outfit and temperament that resemble you. Three sisters, three lives: here's a family with great days ahead.

Want to compare in detail, spec sheet in hand? Find free on Brochure Auto the Renault 5 E-Tech brochures and, as they arrive in the catalog, those of its Alpine and Nissan cousins — so you can put the three triplets side by side before making your choice.