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It was October 2019 when Nissan signaled its desire to launch an electric kei car in Japan with the IMk concept. Fast forward to May 2022, the production version has arrived and is named after the local cherry blossom – Sakura. Going forward, it will serve as the company’s entry-level EV, both in terms of price and size. With a turning radius of only 4.8 meters (15.7 feet), it is ready to hit the urban jungle in the Land of the Rising Sun.
The little, boxy hatchback looks a lot like the previous IMk, right down to the funky wheels styled after the Japanese mizuhiki’s decorative knot. Developed exclusively as a kei car, the Sakura had to adhere to certain rules when it came to size. Hence, it is only 3,395 millimeters (133.6 inches) long, 1,475 mm (58 inches) wide and 1,655 mm (65.1 inches) high. Its wheelbase spans at 2,495 mm (98.2 in), which is quite wide in relation to the overall length.
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How is this achieved? By utilizing a dedicated electric car platform to minimize overhang and increase the distance between the axles for greater interior legroom. You can tell by the length of the rear door the Nissan Sakura is a spacious kei car. It seats four people and offers a luggage capacity of 107 liters (3.77 cubic feet). It’s also one of the lightest EVs out there, weighing in at 1,070 kilograms (2,358 pounds) in its base form while the fully loaded configuration adds 10 kg (22 lbs).
At the heart of a zero-emissions kei car is an electric motor that produces a decent 63 horsepower (47 kW) and 195 Newton-meters (144 pound-feet) of torque. You won’t be setting a Nürburgring lap record with the Sakura, but a top speed of 81 mph (130 km/h) will be more than enough for a city where the bite-sized EV will spend most of its time.
Nissan engineers have installed a small hatch with a lithium-ion battery pack featuring a 20-kWh capacity and enough energy for up to 112 miles (180 kilometers). However, we should point out that the range figures are based on local WLTC cycles. Interestingly, the battery can double as a power bank to charge the house all day long assuming you don’t need more than 12 kW. That’s the average power consumption for a household in Japan. Once the battery warning light is on, a full charge will take eight hours. If you’re in a hurry, a 40-minute charge will recharge the battery up to 80 percent.
While it’s not the most powerful EV out there, the Sakura has a Sport mode, joining Standard and Eco. One-pedal operation is possible thanks to regenerative braking by reducing the accelerator pedal. Nissan says it has developed the quietest cabin in the kei segment and is the first car of its kind to automatically drive, accelerate, brake, shift and apply the parking brake when parking thanks to the ProPILOT Park system.
Available this summer in S, X, and G trim levels, the Nissan Sakura 2023 costs just 1.78 million yen ($14,000) in its basic guise after accounting for local incentives for electric cars.
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