Nissan Says Canada Could Get Smaller, More Affordable Models if it Broadens its Safety Standards

• This follows industry pressures on Ottawa to abandon U.S. standards in favour of more permissive European or Asian ones.

• One model that could be sold in Canada is the new Micra sub-compact hatchback.

• Volkswagen had already expressed a similar idea.

Nissan Americas Chairman Christian Meunier says he sees a market for smaller and more affordable vehicles in Canada if the federal government broadens its safety standards to allow models certified for sale in Europe or Asia.

This follows on from industry pressures on Transport Canada to decouple its vehicle safety standards from those set by the United States Government in the face of the U.S. Canada trade war.

For decades, Ottawa has mostly followed its southern neighbour when it comes to the requirements vehicles have to follow before they can be sold in Canada.

Since almost every vehicle available in Canada is also sold in the United States, this makes it easier for automakers to certify new models, with only one set of requirements for the entire North-American market, with the exception of some fairly small details.

Due to the U.S.-Canada trade war, a significant number of Canadians have expressed the desire to move away from the United States on a variety of fronts, including when it comes to cars and trucks.

Jumping on the bandwagon, automotive industry players have started putting pressure on Transport Canada to broaden its safety standards to allow the sale of vehicles certified for Europe or Asia.

Volkswagen Canada said back in October that it would consider importing more models from other global markets if local regulations allow it, and now, Nissan is saying something very similar.

Indeed, the Japanese automaker’s chairman for the Americas, Christian Meunier, told Automotive News Canada earlier this month that broader standards would “open the door” for smaller Nissan models currently sold in Europe, Japan, and South Korea to make their way to our roads.

Not having to modify these vehicles to comply with Canadian rules could make it possible for automakers such as Nissan and Volkswagen to offer more affordable models that remain profitable.

According to Christian Meunier, there is a market in Canada for smaller vehicles such as those offered globally that doesn’t exist in the United States. This means that the much smaller Canadian market usually mirrors the large American market, leaving a lot of buyers without the type of vehicle they would prefer.

One of the models Nissan could bring to Canada is the new Micra, a sub-compact electric hatchback that sits below the LEAF in the brand’s European lineup.

Built on the same platform as the Renault 4 E-Tech and Renault 5 E-Tech, the current Micra is fitted with either a 40-kWh or a 52-kWh battery, giving it a WLTP range of up to 317 km or 416 km, respectively.

With the smaller battery, output is limited to 120 horsepower and with the larger one, it sits at 150 horsepower.

Volkswagen Canada is Open to Bringing More European Models to Canada if Ottawa allows it

Pricing starts at €28,000 including taxes in France, equivalent to roughly $45,295 CAD at current exchange rates.

For comparison, the larger LEAF starts at €35,300 in France, equivalent to $57,104 CAD, and $52,932 in Ontario, both prices including taxes.

Another model that could be imported is the current Juke, which is offered in Europe with both gasoline and hybrid powertrains.

Incidentally, both of these models were offered in North America in previous generations, but were not renewed past the late 2010s.

It wouldn’t be the first time the Micra was available in Canada and not the United States either, since the small city car was offered to Canadians between 1985 and 1990 and then from 2015 and 2019, but never in the United States.

Source: Automotive News Canada