Nissan NOTE Review

Nissan Note Review

What do you do if you enjoy driving but are about to have a new addition to the family?

This was the problem facing one of Nissan’s young designers whose wife was shortly due to give birth. The answer he came up with was to become the NOTE.

It was first shown at the 2004 Paris motor show as the Tone concept car and developed from there into the B+ segment car we see today.

As you might guess, the B+ designation means that it is bigger than a B-segment car like the Renault Modus and slightly smaller than a C-segment car such as the Golf. While the NOTE is shorter than the Golf, the wheelbase is longer and that translates into large amounts of interior space. Another comparison is made with the Meriva: where the NOTE’s roofline is some 75mm lower than the Vauxhall, it has just as much headroom. Are you getting the picture?

Much of the interior space is given over to legroom, particularly for the rear passengers who have the advantage of a bench seat capable of sliding fore and aft up to 170mm. This function also has an affect on the luggage space, as does the Flexi-board system featured in the SE and SVE models.

Lifting the rear tailgate reveals a high-level load platform with virtually no lip. This ‘upper’ floor comprises of two steel-framed boards that are not only capable of supporting loads of up to 50 Kg but are reversible. On one side is carpet and on the other a wipe-clean waterproof material. With the boards and rear seats in place, the minimum capacity is 280-litres. However, the boards can be folded or removed altogether revealing a hidden well, which, with the seats pushed forward to their fullest extent, adds up to 157-litres more. Furthermore, with the seat backs folded, there’s 1,332-litres of load space available.

Nissan NOTE