Nissan NOTE 1.5dCi
Dont 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 theyd never admit to it themselves, Nissan would probably like us to adopt one of Daves 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.
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It seems that Nissan want to move the game even further along with their Note. Its a tough car to categorise, falling most closely under the banner of supermini-MPV. The thing is, its 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 wouldnt 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 were 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 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 Renaults 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 Nissans 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 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. Whats more, this engine has a beefy 147lb/ft of torque to rely on, which means that itll pull a loaded vehicle without too much rowing with the gear lever.
Thats 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 Nissans 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 Nissans 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." Its interesting to see how the Note slides into Nissans range. The company have claimed that it doesnt directly replace the Almera and in certain respects thats 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 models spectrum. That it should do quite easily as theres 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 thats 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 Notes most interesting feature, however, is the split level luggage bay.
Most would never know that beneath a flat loading deck theres 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 Notes attention to detail. Three trim levels are offered with this engine. The S is priced at £10,990, the SE pitches in at £11,990 and youre probably not going to qualify for MENSA by deducing that the range-topping SVE grade wears a higher £12,990 price tag.
If you think in straight lines, you wont 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: £10,990-£12,990 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 3
CO2 EMISSIONS: 136g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 12.9s / Max Speed 109mph
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
