Nissan Note and Nissan Connect (From Bournemouth Echo)

Nissan Note and Nissan Connect

5:01pm Monday 20th July 2009

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THE Note looks a very small car from the outside but step inside and you will be amazed at the useable space, Nissan has succeeded in making another small car spacious.

The Note could arguably be the right car for today’s motoring climate. Not too large, but it can still be a comfortable main or second car.

The Note is versatile as well capable of carrying five adults with plenty of head and legroom for all.

Nissan has sold over 55,500 Notes in the UK since its launch in 2006 — 20,620 of them last year which, despite the start of the recession, was more than Nissan sold in 2007.

The latest Note has been refreshed for 2009 with a new bonnet, bumpers and lights.

The stacked rear lights either side of the rear tailgate are visually the best of the changes.

Inside, the Note has a quality feel about it, the plastics look and feel nice for a car in this category.

The Note has great flexibility thanks to a sliding rear bench seat which can be moved by up to 160mm to increase load space or leg-room as required.

Even with the seat pushed as far forward as possible, there's still sufficient legroom to accommodate two adults. When pushed back, available rear legroom rises considerably.

The Note has a substantial and clever load area as well. With the rear seats in place, there’s a minimum of 280 litres of luggage space. However, the load area has a false floor, which is covered by twin steel-framed boards (known as the Flexi- Board system) on all but the base model and capable of withstanding loads of up to 50kg.

Lifting either of the boards reveals a secret storage space beneath the boot floor ideal for stowing valuables out of sight.

Lowering the luggage boards into the boot increases the load volume to 380 litres. Should extra space be needed for larger items, the rear seat can slide forward, a simple, one-handed operation either in the load area or from inside the cabin and the boards can be removed altogether, raising total load space potential to 437 litres.

The boards are also reversible, with conventional carpet on one side and an easy-to-clean waterproof surface on the other allowing, for example, muddy outdoor footwear or the family dog to be carried without fear of marking the interior.

For massive loads simply folding the rear seatbacks increases the space to 1,332 litres.

The new Acenta with Connect means you get integrated audio, satellite navigation and communication system. Key features include a 5- inch touch screen, a CD/radio plus USB and auxin connectors enabling iPods and other MP3 players to be operated using Note's audio functions. There’s also full Bluetooth functionality that permits hands-free calls and, where a mobile or audio device supports it, A2DP audio streaming that allows audio files to be played wirelessly.

The satellite navigation element of Nissan Connect provides 2D or 3D maps, voice guidance, TMC (Traffic Message Channel) and a special Eco route-finder aimed at maximising fuel economy.

The 1.5-litre DCI 85bhp turbo diesel unit officially returns 62.8mpg with CO2 emissions of 119g/km which in turn means just £35 in road tax.

Performance is progressive, zero to 60mph is achieved in 13.3 seconds, although the little diesel engine feels much more sprightly. The Note will continue to 102mph. The ride is a little on the soft side but the damping is good. The steering is light although lacks some driver feedback.

The thing to remember here is the Note is not designed to be sporty, its main function is to be incredibly practical for work or play.

The Nissan Note has been available since 2006 in unleaded form. Now it’s available in diesel the super mini-sized compact MPV makes even more sense.

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