⚡ The short version
Nissan has revived the Pixo name after 12 years — this time as an electric city car built on the Renault Twingo. It promises 161 miles of WLTP range from a 27.5kWh LFP battery, 50kW rapid charging as standard, and Google’s Gemini assistant on board. UK sales begin in early 2027, with Autocar reporting a starting price of about £18,000 before any Electric Car Grant. Nissan says UK pricing will be confirmed in December.
City cars are back, and this time they are electric. On 23 September 2026, Nissan unveiled the all-new Pixo, reviving a name it last used on a Suzuki-built petrol city car that slipped out of UK showrooms 12 years ago. The new Pixo is a very different machine: a four-seat battery-electric car designed in London and engineered with Renault, aimed at buyers who want a new electric car without a company car scheme or a £40,000 budget.
What the Pixo actually is
The Pixo is an A-segment electric city car measuring 3,796mm long, 1,790mm wide and 1,512mm tall, on a 2,492mm wheelbase with a 9.9-metre turning circle. It was styled at Nissan Design Europe in Paddington and will be built by Renault at its Novo Mesto plant in Slovenia, alongside the Twingo with which it shares its doors, glass and rear quarter panels.
Nissan makes no secret of the relationship. The Pixo slots in below the Renault 5-based Micra and the new Leaf in Nissan’s European EV line-up, sharing its platform, its 27.5kWh battery and its front-mounted motor with the Twingo. What is bespoke is the front and rear styling, the pixel-inspired LED lights, colours including Wonder Purple and Gear Blue, and a set of hidden design easter eggs — among them a “23” motif, a play on “Ni-San”.
Range, battery and charging
The headline number is 161 miles of WLTP range (259km) from a 27.5kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery — the first LFP pack Nissan has fitted to a European model. Nissan is targeting first-time EV buyers, and argues that LFP’s durability and cost profile suit a car like this better than a more energy-dense chemistry.
Charging is straightforward rather than spectacular. 50kW DC rapid charging is standard across the range and takes the battery from 15% to 80% in roughly 28 minutes, while the 11kW AC onboard charger is bi-directional, opening the door to vehicle-to-load use. That is one clear step behind the Twingo, which accepts up to 80kW, and it is the most obvious engineering difference between the two cars.
A 60kW (about 80bhp) motor drives the front wheels, with 129 lb ft of torque and a 0-62mph time of 12.1 seconds. Real-world range will be lower than the official figure: What Car?’s testing of the near-identical Twingo suggests around 135 miles is realistic.
| Nissan Pixo — key specifications | |
|---|---|
| Battery | 27.5kWh LFP (first LFP pack in a Nissan Europe model) |
| WLTP range | 161 miles (259km) |
| DC charging | 50kW, 15–80% in about 28 minutes |
| AC charging | 11kW, bi-directional |
| Power / torque | 60kW (approx. 80bhp) / 129 lb ft |
| 0-62mph | 12.1 seconds |
| Length / width | 3,796mm / 1,790mm |
| Turning circle | 9.9 metres |
| Boot | 356 litres; 1,221 litres with the rear seats folded, plus 50 litres of cable storage |
| Seats | Four, with an independently sliding rear bench |
| On sale in the UK | Early 2027; pricing announced from December 2026 |
Space and equipment
Small does not have to mean spartan. Nissan quotes 356 litres of boot space with the rear seats up — more than the Twingo — and 1,221 litres with them folded, helped by a 50-litre underfloor cubby for cables. The rear bench slides independently. It is strictly a four-seater.
Inside there is a 10-inch centre touchscreen and a 7-inch driver display, Google built-in with the Gemini assistant, Face ID and the MyNissan app. Nissan has kept physical dials for the climate controls, a decision that will please anyone who has wrestled with an all-touch dashboard. Adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, hands-free parking and one-pedal driving are standard.
Price, grants and timing
Nissan has not confirmed UK pricing, saying only that market-specific figures will be announced from December, with deliveries starting in early 2027. The early estimates differ. Autocar reports a starting price of about £18,000 excluding any Electric Car Grant, while What Car? expects a figure closer to £17,000 once grant support is applied.
Grant eligibility matters. The UK’s Electric Car Grant runs in two bands — up to £3,750 for Band 1 cars and up to £1,500 for Band 2 — and applies to new cars with a recommended retail price of no more than £37,000, with some higher trims up to £42,000 able to qualify. The Pixo’s price and its Slovenian build make it a plausible candidate, but Nissan has not confirmed which band it would fall into. The current rules are set out in our guide to UK EV grants and incentives in 2026.
How it lines up against the sub-£20,000 class
The Pixo lands in the fastest-moving corner of the UK market. The Dacia Spring is still the cheapest new electric car on sale at £11,990, with the Leapmotor T03 close behind at £12,995. Above them sit the Honda Super-N, the Citroën ë-C3 and the BYD Dolphin Surf — plus the Renault Twingo, which Renault UK says will start below £20,000.
| Model | Price from | WLTP range |
|---|---|---|
| Dacia Spring | £11,990 | Up to 139 miles |
| Leapmotor T03 | £12,995 | 165 miles |
| Nissan Pixo | About £18,000 (expected) | 161 miles |
| Honda Super-N | £18,025 | 128 miles |
| Citroën ë-C3 | £18,495 (with grant) | Up to 202 miles |
| BYD Dolphin Surf Active | £18,675 | 137 miles |
| Renault Twingo | Targeting under £20,000 | Up to 163 miles (targeted) |
We compare the whole group, including finance deals and running costs, in our rundown of the cheapest electric cars in the UK in 2026.
What it means for UK buyers
Two things are worth taking from the Pixo’s arrival. First, the sub-£20,000 electric car is now a real market rather than an experiment: within 18 months, buyers have gone from almost no choice below £25,000 to six credible options, several with 160 miles or more of range. Second, the decision point for a city-car buyer is no longer range anxiety but charging speed. If you can charge at home overnight, the gap between 50kW and 80kW matters only on long journeys. If you cannot charge at home, it matters a great deal — our guides to EV charging costs and home charger installation costs cover the sums.
Before you decide anything, run the numbers on your own mileage. The charging cost calculator compares home, public and rapid charging, the VED calculator shows what road tax will cost from the second year, and the car comparison tool puts the Pixo’s numbers side by side with its rivals. For a broader view, browse the electric car library, check public charging near your postcode on the charging points map, or see what is already on UK forecourts in our pick of the best electric cars on sale in 2026. If you are weighing the Dacia Spring instead, our report on the new 2027 Spring explains why it will cost more than today’s car.
Sources
Nissan UK News — Smart, fun and highly capable: The all-new electric PIXO is here, 23 September 2026 (https://uk.nissannews.com) · Autocar — Nissan Pixo returns as a sub-£20k Twingo twin with bold new look, 23 September 2026 (https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/electric-cars/nissan-pixo-returns-sub-%C2%A320k-twingo-twin-bold-new-look) · What Car? — New Nissan Pixo revealed: small electric car to cost from £17,000, 22 September 2026 (https://www.whatcar.com/news/new-nissan-pixo-revealed-small-electric-car-to-cost-from-ps17000) · EV Powered — New Nissan Pixo arrives as sub-£20k electric city car with 161-mile range, 23 September 2026 (https://evpowered.co.uk/news/new-nissan-pixo-ev-debuts-as-electric-city-car/) · Renault UK — Twingo E-Tech electric UK retailer announcement, 3 August 2026 (https://www.renault.co.uk/renault-news/renault-twingo-e-tech-electric-now-available-at-uk-retailers.html) · Auto Express — Cheapest cars to buy 2026, 3 September 2026 (https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/best/cheapest-cars) · GOV.UK — Electric Car Grant eligibility criteria.
