Nissan has designed, engineered and will build its new Note mini-MPV in the UK. The second-gen Note packs better safety and driver assistance tech into an altogether more fashionable body than its cute but uninpsiring predecessor. Does it have enough talent to cause nightmares for the Ford Fiesta and Honda Jazz? Read on for the full details of the 2013 Geneva motor show-bound supermini.
What are the headline techy features on board the 2013 Nissan Note?
Making its debut in the new Note is the ‘Nissan Safety Shield’ package. It comprises a blind spot warning system, lane departure warning and an advanced moving object detection system, plus a rear ‘helicopter view’ camera, which displays a bird’s eye view over the car’s rear on the 5.8-inch infotainment display when reversing. Features like this have been around for a while on executive saloons, but Nissan reckons the Note is the first car to offer such gadgets in a supermini package.
The styling has certainly moved on from the first-gen Note…
Remember the old note’s wraparound rear light clusters that swept onto the roof? It’s probably the only design feature you’ll recall from the old car, but the new one is making a bigger effort to stand out. Opt for the Dynamic pack (as seen on the red car in our gallery) and you get the sporty bodykit with wider air intakes and a faux-diffuser rear bumper.
What about the Nissan Note’s engines?
You can choose from three engines. There’s a 79bhp 1.2-litre petrol (60.1mpg), and a 97bhp version of the same engine (actually greener at 65.7mpg at 99g/km of CO2 rather than 109g/km). There’s also a 1.5-litre diesel that’s the eco-friendliest of the lot, with 78.5mpg claimed fuel economy and a 95g/km CO2 output.
Nissan’s new dashboard design is supposed to help drivers get the best out of the engines, too. The Note’s instrument panels house two eco gauges: an eco pedal gauge gives an efficiency rating to the driver’s throttle input, while an overall eco meter gives a records real-time economy.
And the new Nissan Note’s trim levels?
The new Note will launch with three trim grades – Visia, Acenta and Tekna. All models feature stop-start, six airbags and cruise control. Mid-spec Acenta models add air-con, Bluetooth connection and rear electric windows, while top-spec Tekna models get the Safety Shield pack, ‘Around View Monitor’, part-leather trim and keyless entry.
Prices will be revealed in the summer of 2013, with the first European sales coming this autumn.