Geneva motor show reveal for Nissan's repositioned Ford Fiesta rival. Nissan is targeting the best-selling
Ford Fiesta with its all-new
Nissan Note, seen here for the first time ahead of its Geneva motor show reveal next month.
The new second-generation Note has switched from a mini-MPV to a more traditional hatchback, while still retaining its interior space and raised driving position.
The Notes marketing manager Herve Genin believes the British-built Note can replicate the success of the Qashqai and Juke by fighting against more conventional rivals with a very different proposal.
Like the Qashqai and Juke, were offering the best of both worlds here: something thats agile to drive but still roomy, and good to look at inside and out and still be comfortable, said Genin.
The Sunderland-built Note will reach the UK in the autumn with three engines in its line-up: two three-cylinder petrols and a four-cylinder diesel. A five-speed manual is standard, with a CVT optional on all engines.
A base 1. 2-litre petrol unit gets 79bhp and 81lb ft, and 60. 1mpg and 109g/km economy. The supercharged DIG-S version of the engine gets 97bhp and 105lb ft, plus economy figures of 65. 7mpg and 99g/km.
The latest 89bhp, 162lb ft version of the familiar Renault-Nissan 1. 5 dCi engine is the sole diesel, with economy figures of 78. 5mpg and 95g/km. Performance figures will be revealed closer to the launch.
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The design of the model is directly inspired from the Invitation concept from last years Geneva motor show. Versions of the new Note have already been released for the Japanese and North American markets, but the Note for Europe gets a whole host of modifications.
These include a new grille, bonnet, extra character lines and alloy wheels for the exterior, and new seats and a new dashboard for the interior. Bespoke chassis tuning for the car has taken place, led by Nissans technical centre in Cranfield. Further chassis tweaks take place on the DIG-S for a more involving drive.
A higher level of technology is also offered on the European Note and a range of safety tech offered under a Safety Shield name. These include blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning and moving object detection systems. The Around View Monitor parking aid, which displays an aerial picture of the car on the 5. 8in interior colour screen, is also optional.
Interior features include a sliding rear bench and a dual-height boot floor.
