Nissan Sukura vs Renault Clio

What's the difference?

It is no secret that the Chinese brands have taken Australia’s affordable EV market by storm. The three most affordable electric models in Australia are all Chinese, and all start under $40k.

But this is the Nissan Sakura, a Japanese-market EV that has global potential, with the brand’s most senior executives saying they want to bring cheaper electric vehicles to the masses.

How cheap? Well this one starts at around 2.5m yen, which is less than $27,000.

So, does Nissan have something here that can upset the cheap EV apple cart? Let’s go find out.

I'm going to reveal something of myself here - I used to be a RenaultSport Clio owner. This is what the purists call what we now know as Clio RS, and I find myself constantly corrected yet unrepentant. It was a 172 - a nuggety three-door with wheels that looked too small, a weird seating position and a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine that was big on torque as long as you belted it.

It was a classic and you could still see the links back to the epoch-making Renault Clio Williams, that blue and gold Mk 1 Clio we never saw in Australia that redefined the genre. The current Clio has been around for four years now and I even drove this current RS Clio at its launch in 2013, memorable for the sudden bucketing rain that drenched the circuit and made things very interesting indeed.

This Clio was a big change from the cars that went before - slimmer-hipped, less aggressive-looking and with a 1.6-litre turbo engine, five-door-only body and (gasp!) no manual, just Renault's twin-clutch EDC transmission. It was a hit, at least with enthusiasts. Back then it was the dawn of a golden age in small hot hatches. But that was then, this is now. With a small power bump and a couple of features thrown in, is the ageing RS still at the pointy end?