NISSAN

HITTING THE RIGHT NOTE? Nissan’s Note is a versatile spin on the market’s demand for ever more versatile MPV-style superminis. Jonathan Crouch checks out the value-added Visia+ version

You have a right to expect a lot from a family runabout costing you over £10,500. Yet you might be surprised to find just how little such a budget will actually get you. That being the case, it might be worth including this car on your shopping list, Nissan’s Note Visia+ special edition.

Before we get to the ‘Visia+’ bit, it might be worth profiling the Note model itself for you since there’s just a chance that it could have slipped under your radar. It’s worth profiling too – at least if you believe ‘Which?’ magazine who recently noted that ‘a well equipped Nissan Note is all the car you’ll ever need’. If you’re looking for a compact family car, that’s as good a recommendation to start with as any. The Note is one of those ‘supermini-MPVs’, a breed of small hatches with slightly larger dimensions and a series of MPV-style touches. Cars like Renault’s Modus, Ford’s Fusion, Vauxhall’s Meriva and this Nissan all campaign in this sector – and more are coming. To keep their offering fresh, Nissan introduced a series of improvements. The latest model year cars come with fully body coloured bumpers, Bluetooth phone operation with steering wheel activated controls, an MP3 auxiliary jack socket, front seat storage nets and foldaway tables, plus front electric windows. That’s in addition to side airbags, a CD player, remote central locking and immobiliser, ISOFIX childseat mounting points and a flat reclining front passenger seat that’s useful should you need to transport long items like bicycles or surfboards. To this tally, the Visia+ special edition model we’re looking at here adds manual air conditioning with a pollen filter that can also be channelled into the 9.0-litre glovebox – a storage area that’s big enough to swallow 12 cans of drink. Nissan’s novel Flexi-Board system is also included, a system that adds to Note’s already versatile load area. Here, twin steel-framed boards cover an additional stowage space beneath the floor which is ideal for stowing valuables. With the rear seats in place, there’s 280 litres of luggage space. Slide the rear seat forward (it has a 160mm adjustment) and lower the luggage boards into the well, and you get an extra 100 litres, giving a total load space of 437 litres.

"This Visia+ model represents probably the best value route into striking the right Note…"

In Visia+ guise, this Note model carries a reasonable £500 premium over standard Visia variants, with prices starting from £10,595 for the 88PS 1.4-litre manual version. Alternatively, customers can opt for a 110PS 1.6-litre petrol engine (with a manual or automatic gearbox) or the 86PS 1.5-litre turbo diesel. Designers of supermini-MPVs can make them bigger, smarter or both. The Note’s stylists opted for the latter option. This car was designed by Toyota – Taiji Toyota that is – one of Nissan’s most talented stylists. Toyota points out that the car is "tall, but not too tall. We wanted a roomy interior and the benefits of a high driving position but we did not want to make the car look top heavy. With the long wheelbase and body, we feel we have achieved a shape that will appeal on both a practical and emotional level." It would be natural if potential buyers were comparing this car to its French cousin, Renault’s Modus, a car which shares all three of the Nissan’s engines. However, at 3.99m long, the Note is significantly longer (by 20cm) over its Gallic stablemate. At first glance, the Modus looks cheaper but only because it comes with the option of a 1.2-litre engine the Nissan doesn’t bother with. Compare like-engine derivatives alongside each other and the Note is a few hundred pounds cheaper car for car. The Nissan’s interior certainly feels very spacious and that’s in no small part down to the fact that the wheelbase of 2.60m is longer than that of cars like the MK5 Volkswagen Golf. This available space can be optimised between luggage and rear passengers with the aid of a sliding rear bench seat as well as the usual folding rear arrangement. The Note’s most interesting feature, however, is that Flexi-Board split level luggage bay. Cup holders, bag holding hooks and umbrella stowing points also hint at the Note’s attention to detail. Although the exterior design isn’t going to set pulses racing, the Note has an athletic, wheel at each corner stance that gives it a rather more masculine look than the rather mimsy supermini-MPVs that have become the norm. The dashboard isn’t going to have designers in black turtle necks swooning but it’s a tidy piece of work with even entry level models like this one offering a level of fit and finish that’s rare in this sector. Colour and material choices are far from conventional and the cluster of instruments around the centre console is rapidly becoming a Nissan trademark. The underpinnings of the car are nothing too novel with MacPherson strut suspension up front and a torsion bar at the back. A ‘sporting’ RX version is on sale in Japan although it’s doubtful that enthusiast drivers here will queue up for such a Note, especially when Vauxhall seem to have that sector of the market squared away with their 180bhp Meriva VXR. For the majority of supermini-MPV drivers, however, the Note is a model they’d be ill advised to overlook. Perhaps Nissan are rather belatedly realising that this car has been rather overlooked by buyers up to this point. Unfairly so in fact for it’s an excellent product if you’re looking for affordable, no-nonsense family travel in a compact package. Should that be the case, then this Visia+ model represents probably the best value route into striking the right Note.  

Facts At A Glance CAR: Nissan Note Visia+ range PRICES: £10,595-£11,695 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 4 CO2 EMISSIONS: 136-156g/km PERFORMANCE: [1.6] 0-60mph 10.7s / Max Speed 114mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.5 dCi 86] (urban) 49.6mpg / (extra urban) 62.8mpg / (combined) 57.6mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin airbags, ABS with EBD WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3990/1530/1690mm

NOTABLE BY ITS COMPETENCE Nissan hope to strike a chord amongst UK small car buyers with their 1.4-litre Note models. Steve Walker reports…

Small car buyers are a demanding bunch. You can keep most high-flying executives happy if you include enough wood and leather in a vehicle, while sportscar buyers will pay top dollar for a cabin they can barely fit into if the performance is sufficiently ludicrous. People who plump for little cars however, well they want it all.

They want vehicles that are compact enough to park easily and zip about town in but they want them with spacious, versatile interiors to cope with the rigours of family life. Oh, and they don’t want to pay high prices to acquire or run these magical models, so a low list price and an engine that’s quick but economical would also be nice. Nissan’s latest attempt at meeting these physics-defying criteria is the Note 1.4-litre, recently improved with body-coloured bumpers, new trim levels and a series of specification tweaks. It’s actually the manufacturers themselves who are constantly boxing each other into a corner with their endless bouts of one-upmanship. If a secret gentleman’s agreement had been forged between the world’s top car brands in some smoke-filled 1970s backroom, we could all be driving around in Austin Princesses today, blissfully unaware that a higher level of motoring was possible. Instead, the world car market is a never-ending battle between firms intent on outdoing their rivals with successively more advanced, clever and practical products. Consumers demand cars and progress comes from the measures car makers take to ensure that theirs are chosen. The current state of the art in the practical small car sector is something roughly approximating to Nissan’s Note and with 1.4-litre power, it also manages to be affordable and economical. There are other contenders too - notably Renault’s Modus, Fiat’s Idea and Vauxhall’s Meriva - which aim to fulfil the tricky remit of being small and practical. The Note is roughly equivalent in size to these products at just under four metres long, 1.53m high and 1.69m wide. To these eyes, however, it’s a more attractive and interesting-looking vehicle than any of them. The designers have managed to avoid the formulaic box-on-wheels shape that afflicts the Note’s contemporaries. It appears lower and longer with minimal rear overhang and quite a pronounced nose protruding at the front. On it, resides a slatted grille similar to that first seen on Nissan’s Murano 4x4 as well as a pair of bulbous headlamps. The Note is squared-off at the rear with the natural roofline taking an unusual last-minute jerk upwards to maximise cargo capacity in the back.

"Nissan appear to have ticked all the key boxes with their Note"

The interior feels very spacious and that’s in no small part down to the fact that the wheelbase of 2.60m is longer than that of cars like the Mk5 Volkswagen Golf. This available space can be optimised between luggage and rear passengers with the aid of a sliding rear bench seat as well as the usual folding rear arrangement. The Note’s most interesting feature, however, is the split level luggage bay. Most would never know that beneath a flat loading deck there’s a 250mm deep second layer that can keep valuables out of the way of prying eyes. Cup holders, bag holding hooks and umbrella stowing points also hint at the Note’s attention to detail. The dashboard isn’t going to have designers in black turtle necks swooning but it’s a tidy piece of work with even the entry level models offering a level of fit and finish that’s rare in this sector. Colour and material choices are far from conventional and the cluster of instruments around the centre console is rapidly becoming a Nissan trademark. So we come to the 1.4-litre engine, the entry-level option in the Nissan Note range. It’s a four-cylinder unit with a maximum output of 87bhp and a torque rating of 128Nm at 3,200rpm. The engine comes across as being very refined, possibly the most hushed in the entire line-up, and it rarely feels overwhelmed, even on motorway journeys. Performance is nothing to get too excited about with the 0-60mph sprint taking 13.1s and a top speed of 103mph but its all most people need in a car like the Note. Fuel economy of 44.5mpg is only 2mpg better than the more powerful 1.6-litre car and 10mpg shy of the 1.5-litre dCi diesel with 85bhp, while CO2 emissions are measured at 150g/km. The 1.4-litre Note feels highly nimble on the road with body-roll well controlled, a firm ride and steering that’s light but accurate. It’s perfect for nipping through the city streets and it inspires confidence thanks to good all-round visibility and a tight turning circle. If you really value a comfortable ride, one of the Note’s rivals may be a better option but if you like your small car with a taught, sporty feel, this could be it. Three trim levels are offered with this engine. The VISIA is priced from £9,990, the ACENTA pitches in at £11,340 and the ACENTA R is £11,840. To keep their offering fresh, Nissan have recently introduced a series of improvements. The latest model year cars come with fully body coloured bumpers, Bluetooth phone operation with steering wheel activated controls, an MP3 auxiliary jack socket, air conditioning with glove box cooler, Nissan’s ‘flexi-board’ storage system, front seat storage nets and foldaway tables, front and rear electric windows, plus the combi-meter display which is now set in a silver background with orange indicator needles. There’s no doubt that manufacturing a truly practical small car is a difficult thing to do, especially when that practicality must come along with all the other things that buyers have come to expect from their urban runabouts. Despite this, Nissan appear to have ticked all the key boxes with their Note. It’s well-equipped, versatile, fun to drive and affordable - the 1.4-litre models in particular offering a tempting ownership proposition. Now it’s up to all the other car manufacturers to come up with something better. It may take them a while…

Facts At A Glance CAR: Nissan Note 1.4 range PRICES: £10,095-£11,840 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 4 CO2 EMISSIONS: 150g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 13.1s / Max Speed 103mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: 44.8mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin airbags, side airbags, ABS with EBD WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3990/1530/1690mm

NISSAN HIT THE RIGHT NOTE Nissan’s British-built Note dCi offers something a little different to the hatchback norm. Andy Enright reports

Don’t you just love management jargon? In a previous life, I used to work for a guy who was forever ‘touching base’, ‘running things up flagpoles’, ‘pinging the cost accountants’ and recognising that the ‘squeaky wheels got the grease’. Although they’d never admit to it themselves, Nissan would probably like us to adopt one of Dave’s other hackneyed terms. When it comes to evaluating a car like the Nissan Note dCi, it pays to ‘think outside the box’.

For eons, the small car market was divided into superminis and family hatches. Think cars of the size of the Ford Fiesta and Escort respectively. As superminis got bigger and more sophisticated, citycars started slotting in beneath them to fill the vacuum but this level of niche marketing was still insufficient to fill the demands of a rapidly fragmenting car market. Somewhat surprisingly, the answers came from cars like the Renault Espace. Customers enamoured by the practicality and utility of these models demanded those features in ever smaller packages. Mini MPVs started to become a real hot ticket around 1997, the market kicked off by Renault’s Megane Scenic. Even this wasn’t enough. Urban buyers demanded multiple cup holders, folding and sliding rear seats, auxiliary power outlets and all the other tricks that bigger MPV-style vehicles were offering and the supermini MPV was born - models like the Toyota Yaris Verso and Vauxhall Meriva making hay. It seems that Nissan want to move the game even further along with their Note, recently improved with body-coloured bumpers, new trim levels and a series of specification tweaks. It’s a tough car to categorise, falling most closely under the banner of supermini-MPV. The thing is, it’s a lot bigger than its rivals and it looks very different too. Most supermini-MPVs are, to be frank, pretty gimpy looking things that any person with a few Y chromosomes wouldn’t really savour being seen in. The Note is different, with a far more dynamic look, a pugnacious wheel-at-each-corner stance and some length to its bonnet. Indulge us blokes. We want a bit of bonnet, even if we’re buying a supermini MPV.

"Stop asking conventional questions and this car will start making sense"

The 1.5-litre dCi engine that powers this version of the Note comes in two variants. Firstly you have the 85bhp unit which will do the 0 to 60 sprint in 13 seconds ad reach a top speed of 104. Secondly you have the tuned-up 102bhp version with a top speed of 112mph and a 0 to 60mph time of 11.1 seconds. Clio owners will already be familiar with the 86bhp unit and Micra owners may well also have a sense of déjà vu. In addition, the co-operation between Nissan and Renault sees the Note running on a lengthened version of the platform that Renault’s Modus sits on. This combination of sunk investment and modular versions of existing technologies allows Nissan to turn out new niche models relatively inexpensively and the Note dCi, assembled in Britain at Nissan’s Wearside plant, has come to market in a relatively short period of time. Despite the 102bhp engine’s hike in performance, customers may be interested to know there is no penalty in fuel consumption or emissions, with a combined fuel economy of 55.8mpg. Naturally, this will dip if you load your Note up to the gunwales but not by a disastrous amount. What’s more, this engine has a beefy 147lb/ft of torque to rely on, which means that it’ll pull a loaded vehicle without too much rowing with the gear lever. That’s as much as a BMW 320i by the way. Originally unveiled at the 2004 Paris Motor Show as the ‘Tone’, the Note is part of a conscious move on Nissan’s part away from slow selling ‘conventional’ categories – as exemplified by the Almera and the Primera – and into more lucrative and exciting niches. Cars like the Note follow interesting models like the X-Trail, the Micra C+C and the 350Z coupe. The Note shares a connection with the X-Trail in that they were both designed by Toyota – Taiji Toyota that is – one of Nissan’s most talented stylists. Toyota points out that the Tone is "tall, but not too tall. We wanted a roomy interior and the benefits of a high driving position but we did not want to make the car look top heavy. With the long wheelbase and body, we feel we have achieved a shape that will appeal on both a practical and emotional level." It’s interesting to see how the Note slides into Nissan’s range. The company have claimed that it doesn’t directly replace the Almera and in certain respects that’s true. The idea is that a bigger, more upmarket new-generation Almera will take top end Family Hatchback sector sales, leaving the Note to absorb the budget end of the old model’s spectrum. That it should do quite easily as there’s a lot more to the Note than the old Almera – as fun to drive as it was – could ever really offer. The interior feels very spacious and that’s in no small part down to the fact that the wheelbase of 2.60m is longer than that of cars like the MK5 Volkswagen Golf. This available space can be optimised between luggage and rear passengers with the aid of a sliding rear bench seat as well as the usual folding seat back arrangement. The Note’s most interesting feature, however, is the split level luggage bay. Most would never know that beneath a flat loading deck there’s a 250mm deep second layer that can keep valuables out of the way of prying eyes. Cup holders, bag holding hooks and umbrella stowing points also hint at the Note’s attention to detail. Four trim levels are offered with this engine. The VISIA is priced from £10,095, the VISIA+ pitches in at £10,595, the ACENTA is £11,545 and range-topping TEKNA costs from £13,495. If you think in straight lines, you won’t even have the Note on your shortlist. Open your mind a little and this Nissan makes all kinds of sense.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Nissan Note 1.5 dCi range PRICES: £10,595-£13,495 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 4 CO2 EMISSIONS: 136g/km PERFORMANCE: (1.5dCi 85bhp) 0-60mph 13.0s / Max Speed 104mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 55mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS with EBD and EBA WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3990/1530/1690mm

THE ACENT OF NISSAN With lots of equipment and a reasonable price, the Acenta S trim level shows the Nissan NOTE in a flattering light. Steve Walker reports

In Acenta S guise, the Nissan NOTE adds a bulging equipment list to its other qualities. These include its cleverly designed cabin, low running costs and exemplary interior space and together, they make the little Nissan one of the top small family cars around.

Nissan’s NOTE may have struck a chord with the car buying public but isn’t exactly a purveyor of popular music. Coming out of the leftfield, this is a car that subverts the conventions laid down by the car market’s established genres, albeit in a modest way cleverly calculated to convert more people than it alienates. Neither supermini, family hatchback nor compact MPV, the NOTE is tough to pigeonhole but Nissan is confident it has a potential chart topper on its hands and in Acenta S trim, it sounds particularly sweet. Nissan’s decision to move away from the conventional family hatchback market where its Almera effort had lived out its life in relative ignominy, was a brave one. These days, it also looks extremely well-judged. As alternatives to the likes of Ford’s Focus and Vauxhall’s Astra, the marque brought us the QASHQAI which mixed family hatch and compact 4x4 attributes and the Note which pulls a similar trick with the best bits of family hatches and compact MPVs. It’s the NOTE Acenta S model we examine here and residing at the upper end of the Note line-up, it shows the Nissan in an attractive light. The Acenta S is available with the full range of Note engine options. That means the range opens with a 1.4-litre 16-valve unit before stepping up to a 1.6-litre 16-valver and a 1.5-litre dCi diesel. This oil-burner has 86bhp but those seeking a bit more clout can opt for the range-topping engine, a 1.5-litre dCi diesel with a 103bhp output. None of the Notes are overly rapid with the 1.6-litre model posing the fastest 0-60mph time at 10.7s. The smaller petrol and the lesser diesel both manage the feat in around 13s and the range-topping diesel takes 11.1s. With 240Nm of torque at 2,000rpm, this flagship powerplant actually feels stronger in real world driving than the 1.6-litre petrol. Refinement is generally good across the NOTE range and the car changes direction swiftly making it adept in an urban setting. It’s also relatively compact so parking and other manoeuvres are made that much more straightforward. The standard gearbox is a five speed manual but there’s a six speed manual for the more powerful diesel engine and the 1.6-litre petrol is available with a four-speed automatic.

"Designed to smooth the path of family life with its low running costs, versatile design and spacious interior…"

The NOTE’s interior is its key strength as designers have managed to achieve an abundance of space with a high degree of practicality. The lofty roof gives a light airy feel and legroom for rear seat passengers is very impressive. The roomy cabin can be attributed in no small part to the fact that the wheelbase of 2.60m is longer than that of cars like the Mk5 Volkswagen Golf. This available space can be optimised between luggage and rear passengers with the aid of a sliding rear bench seat as well as the usual folding arrangement. The NOTE’s most interesting feature, however, is the split level luggage bay. Most would never know that beneath a flat loading deck there’s a 250mm deep second layer that can keep valuables out of the way of prying eyes. Cup holders, bag holding hooks and umbrella stowing points also hint at the NOTE’s attention to detail. The designers have managed to avoid the formulaic box-on-wheels shape that afflicts the Nissan NOTE’s small MPV contemporaries. It appears lower and longer with minimal rear overhang and quite a pronounced nose protruding at the front. On it, resides a slatted grille similar to that first seen on Nissan’s Murano 4x4 as well as a pair of bulbous headlamps. The NOTE is squared-off at the rear with the natural roofline taking an unusual last-minute jerk upwards to maximise cargo capacity in the back. Prices start at £11,995 and the Acenta S trim level sits one rung below the top of the NOTE range playing second fiddle to the top spec Tekna model. Nevertheless, it’s very well specified with climate control, a 6 CD autochanger stereo with MP3 compatibility, Nissan’s Intelligent Key system and automatic headlamps. These features come in addition to the basic specification of the ordinary Acenta model with runs to 15" alloy wheels, a trip computer, electric windows and a plethora of storage boxes and cubbies. Despite this, the price differential between the Acenta and the Acenta S is only £400, extra cash with many buyers will consider well worth finding. Inside, the Ascenta S the cabin look is enhanced by flashes of sliver trim that contrast with black inserts on the seats and the door linings. Your view on the NOTE’s value proposition depends on which rivals you align it with. It’s a touch expensive in comparison to the top line of five-door superminis but it trumps this class of vehicle in terms of interior space. Compared to larger family hatches and MPVs, it looks good value. Most buyers who regularly travel with rear seat passengers will look for something larger and more expensive than a supermini but the NOTE can fulfil this role and looks good value as a result. The lack of any barnstorming performance engines helps make the NOTE’s running costs refreshingly low across the board. The diesel engines in particular do sterling work with the entry-level unit capable of returning 57.6mpg with CO2 emissions of 129g/km. The more powerful oil-burner is scarcely any more expensive to run with its 55.4mpg economy and emissions of 136g/km. On the petrol front, buyers can expect emissions of 150 and 156g/km from the 1.4 and 1.6-litre units respectively along with economy of 44.8mpg and 42.8mpg. Insurance groups are 4 and 5 across the board so, again, the NOTE is not a car that’s going to cost the earth to run. Buyers can expect residual values to fall slightly faster than more mainstream offerings with the NOTE likely to prove tricky for buyers to get a handle on. This could present a great opportunity for those in the know to get their mitts on a bargain with Nissan’s excellent reliability record making the car an even more attractive ownership proposition. Nissan’s NOTE is a great small family car that majors on practicality and space. In Acenta S trim, it comes extremely well-equipped and priced attractively. The engines are competent and produce low running costs although performance is a little underwhelming. The Note is an unorthodox choice in the scheme of the wider family hatch market but by focusing on the needs of cost-conscious family buyers, it has found a ready niche that the well-judged Acenta S derivatives should help it exploit. Excitement isn’t really on the agenda with the Nissan NOTE, although it does handle perfectly competently. By the same token, it’s not a car that makes much of a fashion statement. What it does do is smooth the path of family life with its low running costs, versatile design and spacious interior. If those sound like your priorities, the NOTE makes a compelling pitch.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Nissan NOTE Acenta S range PRICES: from £11,995 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-6 CO2 EMISSIONS: 136-156g/km PERFORMANCE: [1.6] 0-60mph 10.7s / Max Speed 114mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.5 dCi 86] (urban) 49.6mpg / (extra urban) 62.8mpg / (combined) 57.6mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin airbags, ABS with EBD WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3990/1530/1690mm

NISSAN’S PERFECT PITCH? Nissan’s Note is a versatile spin on the market’s demand for ever more versatile MPV-style superminis. Jonathan Crouch checks out the latest range.

According to ‘Which?’ magazine, ‘a well equipped Nissan Note is all the car you’ll ever need’. If you’re looking for a compact family car, that’s as good a recommendation to start with as any.

The Note, in case you didn’t know, is one of those ‘supermini-MPVs’, a breed of small hatches with slightly larger dimensions and a series of MPV-style touches. Cars like Renault’s Modus, Ford’s Fusion, Vauxhall’s Meriva and this Nissan all campaign in this sector – and more are coming. To keep their offering fresh, Nissan introduced a series of improvements. The latest model cars come with fully body coloured bumpers, Bluetooth phone operation with steering wheel activated controls, an MP3 auxiliary jack socket, air conditioning with glove box cooler, Nissan’s ‘flexi-board’ storage system, front seat storage nets and foldaway tables, front and rear electric windows, plus the combi-meter display which is now set in a silver background with orange indicator needles. In other words, a ‘well equipped Nissan Note’ could these days be the base model in the range. That variant is now badged ‘VISIA’ and is priced from £10,245. Above this variant sits the ACENTA trim level that most customers will probably choose. Go for this and for an extra £400 premium, you car can be ordered as an ‘ACENTA S’. For that you get a nicely regulated cabin environment thanks to standard climate control air conditioning, plus a 6 CD autochanger with auxiliary jack to hook up an MP3 player to get the best from your music collection. Convenience comes in the shape of Nissan’s Intelligent Key, providing automatic locking and unlocking so long as you’ve popped the key into your pocket or bag. Automatic headlamps and wipers – including operation of the rear wiper whenever reverse is engaged in the rain – make for an even more relaxing drive. Inside, the unique trim is predominantly silver, with contrasting circular black inserts on the outer bolsters of both the seat back and base; complementing it are door linings featuring silver inserts with black surrounds. If all that’s not enough, ‘TEKNA’ is also the flagship specification.

"Designers of supermini-MPVs can make them bigger, smarter or both. The Note’s stylists opted for the latter option"

Four engine choices are offered. The two petrol units comprise an 87bhp 1.4-litre as well as a 108bhp 1.6-litre powerplant as seen in the sportiest Micra supermini. Perhaps more popular though will be the two diesel engines on offer, a 1.5-litre dCi common rail unit borrowed from the Micra range with 85bhp on tap or, available in the range-topping TEKNA trim level only, a higher output variant of the same engine producing 102bhp. Designers of supermini-MPVs can make them bigger, smarter or both. The Note’s stylists opted for the latter option. This car was designed by Toyota – Taiji Toyota that is – one of Nissan’s most talented stylists. Toyota points out that the Tone is "tall, but not too tall. We wanted a roomy interior and the benefits of a high driving position but we did not want to make the car look top heavy. With the long wheelbase and body we feel we have achieved a shape that will appeal on both a practical and emotional level." It would be natural if potential buyers were comparing this car to its French cousin, Renault’s Modus, a car which shares all three of the Nissan’s engines. However, at 3.99m long, the Note is significantly longer (by 20cm) over its Gallic stablemate. At first glance, the Modus looks cheaper but only because it comes with the option of a 1.2-litre engine the Nissan doesn’t bother with. Compare like-engine derivatives alongside each other and the Note is a few hundred pounds cheaper car for car. The Nissan’s interior certainly feels very spacious and that’s in no small part down to the fact that the wheelbase of 2.60m is longer than that of cars like the MK5 Volkswagen Golf. This available space can be optimised between luggage and rear passengers with the aid of a sliding rear bench seat as well as the usual folding rear arrangement. The Note’s most interesting feature, however, is the split level luggage bay. Most would never know that beneath a flat loading deck there’s a 250mm deep second layer that can keep valuables out of the way of prying eyes. Cup holders, bag holding hooks and umbrella stowing points also hint at the Note’s attention to detail. Although the exterior design isn’t going to set pulses racing, the Note has an athletic, wheel at each corner stance that gives it a rather more masculine look than the rather mimsy supermini-MPVs that have become the norm. The dashboard isn’t going to have designers in black turtle necks swooning but it’s a tidy piece of work with even the entry level models offering a level of fit and finish that’s rare in this sector. Colour and material choices are far from conventional and the cluster of instruments around the centre console is rapidly becoming a Nissan trademark. The underpinnings of the car are nothing too novel with MacPherson strut suspension up front and a torsion bar at the back. A ‘sporting’ RX version is on sale in Japan although it’s doubtful that enthusiast drivers here will queue up for such a Note, especially when Vauxhall seem to have that sector of the market squared away with their 180bhp Meriva VXR. For the majority of supermini-MPV drivers, however, the Note is a model they’d be ill advised to overlook. Perhaps Nissan are rather belatedly realising that the Note has been rather overlooked by buyers up to this point. Unfairly so in fact for it’s an excellent product if you’re looking for affordable, no-nonsense family travel in a compact package.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Nissan Note range PRICES: £10,245-£14,995 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-6 CO2 EMISSIONS: 136-156g/km PERFORMANCE: [1.6] 0-60mph 10.7s / Max Speed 114mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.5 dCi 86] (urban) 49.6mpg / (extra urban) 62.8mpg / (combined) 57.6mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin airbags, ABS with EBD WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3990/1530/1690mm

NO BUM NOTES HERE Models Covered: Five-door supermini MPV 2006- to date: [1.4, 1.6 petrol 1.5 diesel (S,SE,SVE)]

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

No mainstream car maker has reinvented itself quite as radically as Nissan. You don’t need to wind the clock back that many years to find a me-too company producing dull but worthy and good. The Primera, the Almera, the Terrano, the QX: all technically decent cars but about as exciting as radio coverage of coarse fishing. The catalyst for this change was the takeover by Renault. Within a remarkably short space of time, Nissan was turning out exciting niche vehicles that people wanted to buy. The late shape Micra, the 350Z, the X-Trail and the Navara were just a few. To this list add the Note, a small MPV-style vehicle that thinks big. Used examples are now starting to appear in decent numbers and are well worth further investigation.

Originally unveiled at the 2004 Paris Motor Show as the ‘Tone’, the Note is part of a conscious move on Nissan’s part away from slow selling conventional categories. The Note shares a connection with the X-Trail in that they were both designed by Toyota – Taiji Toyota that is – one of Nissan’s most talented stylists. Toyota points out that the Tone is "tall, but not too tall. We wanted a roomy interior and the benefits of a high driving position but we did not want to make the car look top heavy. With the long wheelbase and body we feel we have achieved a shape that will appeal on both a practical and emotional level." Those of you who keep tabs on the politics of the global automotive industry will know that Nissan and Renault share a good deal of their technology, and it would be understandable to assume that the Note is merely Nissan’s identical take on the Modus platform, but break out the tape measure and you’ll find that this ‘Japanese’ car (European Notes are built in Tyneside) is a good deal longer, freeing up a little more room for back seat passengers. At 3.99m long, it’s got fully 20cm over its French cousin. When it first arrived, press and public alike gave the Note a warm reception and since its inception it’s been one of the best selling supermini MPVs in the UK, so used stock is available.

The interior feels very spacious and that’s in no small part down to the fact that the wheelbase of 2.60m is longer than that of cars like the MK5 Volkswagen Golf. This available space can be optimised between luggage and rear passengers with the aid of a sliding rear bench seat as well as the usual folding rear arrangement. The Note’s most interesting feature, however, is the split level luggage bay. Most would never know that beneath a flat loading deck there’s a 250mm deep second layer that can keep valuables out of the way of prying eyes. Cup holders, bag holding hooks and umbrella stowing points also hint at the Note’s attention to detail. Although the exterior design isn’t going to set pulses racing, the Note has an athletic, wheel at each corner stance that gives it a rather more masculine look than the rather mimsy supermini-MPVs that have become the norm. The dashboard isn’t going to have designers in black turtle necks swooning but it’s a tidy piece of work with even the entry level models offering a level of fit and finish that’s rare in this sector. Colour and material choices are far from conventional and the cluster of instruments around the centre console is rapidly becoming a Nissan trademark.

Prices start at £7.850 for an 06-plated 1.4-litre S with the better-equipped SE version tacking another £1,000 onto that price. The 1.6-litre models are a little more plentiful and these open at around £8,300 for an S with automatic versions commanding around £9,000. The range-topping SVE trim will still fetch around £9,800, again on the 06 plate. Go for a diesel-engined car and you’ll need around £7,800 for the entry-level S, around £8,800 for an SE and around £9,400 for the SVE. Insurance is modest, ranging between Group 4 and Group 6.

Nothing to report here. The Note is a very reliable car and runs on mainly tried and tested mechanicals. Check for parking damage and ensure the car has a full Nissan service history and buy with confidence.

(Approx. values for a 2006 Note 1.4) A clutch assembly will be around £195 and front brake pads are around £45; it’s around £40 for the rear set. An alternator should be close to £250 and a radiator around £175.

The underpinnings of the car are nothing too novel with MacPherson strut suspension up front and a torsion bar at the back. A ‘sporting’ RX version is on sale in Japan although it’s doubtful that enthusiast drivers here will queue up for such a Note, especially when Vauxhall seem to have that sector of the market squared away with their 180bhp Meriva VXR. For the majority of supermini-MPV drivers, however, the Note is a model they’d be ill advised to overlook. The diesel is the one to go for. The 1.5-litre dCi engine that powers this version of the Note is, as you may well have intimated, a unit shared with Renault. Clio owners will already be familiar with its 86bhp output and Micra owners may well also have a sense of déjà vu. In addition, the co-operation between Nissan and Renault sees the Note running on a lengthened version of the platform that Renault’s Modus sits on. This combination of sunk investment and modular versions of existing technologies allows Nissan to turn out new niche models relatively inexpensively and the Note, assembled in Britain at Nissan’s Wearside plant, has come to market in a relatively short period of time. Performance from the 1.5-litre common rail diesel is respectable if not rapid, getting to 60mph in 13 seconds, but of more interest to most customers will be a combined fuel economy of 55.8mpg. Naturally, this will dip if you load your Note up to the gunwales but not by a disastrous amount. What’s more, this engine has a beefy 147lb/ft of torque to rely on, which means that it’ll pull a loaded vehicle without too much rowing with the gear lever. That’s as much as a BMW 320i by the way.

Go for a clean-looking Note with a full service history from a reputable source and you shouldn't go wrong. For the young family, there’s not a whole lot better.