Review of the new Nissan NOTE Range

According to 'Which?' magazine, 'a well equipped Nissan Note is all the car you'll ever need'. If you're looking for a compact family car, that's as good a recommendation to start with as any.

The Note, in case you didn't know, is one of those 'supermini-MPVs', a breed of small hatches with slightly larger dimensions and a series of MPV-style touches. Cars like Renault's Modus, Ford's Fusion, Vauxhall's Meriva and this Nissan all campaign in this sector - and more are coming.

To keep their offering fresh, Nissan introduced a series of improvements. The latest model cars come with fully body coloured bumpers, Bluetooth phone operation with steering wheel activated controls, an MP3 auxiliary jack socket, air conditioning with glove box cooler, Nissan's 'flexi-board' storage system, front seat storage nets and foldaway tables, front and rear electric windows, plus the combi-meter display which is now set in a silver background with orange indicator needles. In other words, a 'well equipped Nissan Note' could these days be the base model in the range.

That variant is now badged 'VISIA' and is priced from £10,245. Above this variant sits the ACENTA trim level that most customers will probably choose. Go for this and for an extra £400 premium, you car can be ordered as an 'ACENTA S'. For that you get a nicely regulated cabin environment thanks to standard climate control air conditioning, plus a 6 CD autochanger with auxiliary jack to hook up an MP3 player to get the best from your music collection. Convenience comes in the shape of Nissan's Intelligent Key, providing automatic locking and unlocking so long as you've popped the key into your pocket or bag. Automatic headlamps and wipers - including operation of the rear wiper whenever reverse is engaged in the rain - make for an even more relaxing drive. Inside, the unique trim is predominantly silver, with contrasting circular black inserts on the outer bolsters of both the seat back and base; complementing it are door linings featuring silver inserts with black surrounds. If all that's not enough, 'TEKNA' is also the flagship specification.

"Designers of supermini-MPVs can make them bigger, smarter or both. The Note's stylists opted for the latter option"

Four engine choices are offered. The two petrol units comprise an 87bhp 1.4-litre as well as a 108bhp 1.6-litre powerplant as seen in the sportiest Micra supermini. Perhaps more popular though will be the two diesel engines on offer, a 1.5-litre dCi common rail unit borrowed from the Micra range with 85bhp on tap or, available in the range-topping TEKNA trim level only, a higher output variant of the same engine producing 102bhp.

Designers of supermini-MPVs can make them bigger, smarter or both. The Note's stylists opted for the latter option. This car was designed by Toyota - Taiji Toyota that is - one of Nissan's 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."

It would be natural if potential buyers were comparing this car to its French cousin, Renault's Modus, a car which shares all three of the Nissan's engines. However, at 3.99m long, the Note is significantly longer (by 20cm) over its Gallic stablemate. At first glance, the Modus looks cheaper but only because it comes with the option of a 1.2-litre engine the Nissan doesn't bother with. Compare like-engine derivatives alongside each other and the Note is a few hundred pounds cheaper car for car.

The Nissan's interior certainly feels very spacious and that's 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 rear arrangement. The Note's most interesting feature, however, is the split level luggage bay. Most would never know that beneath a flat loading deck there's 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 Note's attention to detail.

Although the exterior design isn't going to set pulses racing, the Note has an athletic, wheel at each corner stance that gives it a rather more masculine look than the rather mimsy supermini-MPVs that have become the norm. The dashboard isn't going to have designers in black turtle necks swooning but it's a tidy piece of work with even the entry level models offering a level of fit and finish that's rare in this sector. Colour and material choices are far from conventional and the cluster of instruments around the centre console is rapidly becoming a Nissan trademark.

The underpinnings of the car are nothing too novel with MacPherson strut suspension up front and a torsion bar at the back. A 'sporting' RX version is on sale in Japan although it's doubtful that enthusiast drivers here will queue up for such a Note, especially when Vauxhall seem to have that sector of the market squared away with their 180bhp Meriva VXR. For the majority of supermini-MPV drivers, however, the Note is a model they'd be ill advised to overlook.

Perhaps Nissan are rather belatedly realising that the Note has been rather overlooked by buyers up to this point. Unfairly so in fact for it's an excellent product if you're looking for affordable, no-nonsense family travel in a compact package.

TOP 5 NISSAN DEALS

The results below show the top NISSAN deals on buyacar

Nissan Note 1.4 N-Tec+ 5dr Hatchback Special Editions
Price £11,229 Read Note Reviews	Save £2,266
Nissan Note 1.6 N-Tec+ 5dr Auto Hatchback Special Editions
Price £12,884 Read Note Reviews	Save £2,406
Nissan Note 1.5 [90] dci N-Tec+ 5dr Hatchback Special Editions
Price £12,144 Read Note Reviews	Save £2,356
Nissan Note 1.6 N-Tec+ 5dr Hatchback Special Editions
Price £11,966 Read Note Reviews	Save £2,329
Nissan Note 1.4 Visia 5dr Hatchback
Price £9,113 Read Note Reviews	Save £2,082
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