Test Drive Nissan Note since 2005 Minivan

Family happiness

On the floor of the spacious living room scattered soft toys, on the tables of children's drawings, on the TV screen is random at first glance slicing from cartoons, news, fashionable defile and auto racing. We are in the house Note in the presentation hall, designed in the form of a home, where a big and friendly family happily lives.

Chris Lee Product Planning Manager Nissan Europe is pacing around the hall and switches the TV channels with a remote control. Here in the news release, they say that Nissan invested 180 million in the development of the model and is going to produce 90,000 cars at the factory in the English Sundereland annually. Chris presses the fashionable show button on Fashion TV turns into the passage of the novelties along the picturesque mountain road. On the next, the sports channel Note is quickly overcoming the turning bond on a mountain serpentine. The children's program begins with the demonstration of the advantages of the rear seat. Everything is clear: dad handling, mom spectacular appearance, ice cream children, that is, 90th in the rear sofa. And all together Nissan Note, a new family car applying to versatility and individuality. In all this we can see for yourself when we get the keys and go on the roads around Marseille. In the time being, it continues to explain than Note differs from the other five cars built on the Renault-Nissan alliance platform, and especially from the Japanese Note, which has been sold on the domestic market, while holding the 3rd place in the absolute.

As for appearance, with home Note, the European novelty varies minimally. You can mention only some elements of the external decor (for example, a falseradiator grille), the interiors are also almost identical. But the technique suffered serious losses. On the way to Europe, Note has lost its full drive and carton-variator. The first is quite natural, but the lack of a stepless transmission explained to us quite unconvincingly, the monotonous nature of the engine work with it is contrary to the European driver's mentality

Acquisition is also there. These are two gasoline 16-valve engines of their own development of 1.4-liter (88 hp) and 1,6-liter (110 hp), as well as 1.5-liter Diesel Renault in two options for forsing, 68 - and 86 sile. A 5-speed manual transmission appeared, which is installed on all cars, the 4-speed automatic is available only with a 1.6-liter motor.

With the rest of the relatives (besides well-known to us Renault Clio, Modus, Logan, Nissan Micra and Micra C + C, the platform B divides with Note also Japanese Nissan Tilda) Differences Cardinal. Wheel base and length Note 2600 and 4083 mm; From the Common Famens larger than Logan. Moreover, NOTE based on the basis and height is even more older by Almera Tino single almersion class! But Nissan is not afraid of such internal competition. Partly due to the fact that Note, despite its size, it is still in segment B, and also because Almera car is already an elderly and imposing models on each other, most likely will be short. The main rivals Note in Nissan see the leaders of the European market Opel Meriva, Ford Fusion, Honda Jazz, Mitsubishi Colt. In Russia, from all named models, so far only Ford boasts considerable success. Note also has a good chance.

A feature of Note in our market will be lack of diesel modifications. By the way, the organizers of the presentation brought into one group of domestic journalists and representatives of another country, which will not see diesel engines. Guess what? Switzerland! True, if the path to Russia is closes the quality of diesel fuel, then in Switzerland lack of demand. High taxes on such cars and the price for diesel fuel led to the fact that in the heart of Europe, they are sold. But from this, the number of test note with diesel has not decreased, but the demand for gasoline versions (they were yellow) among journalists rose at times. I did not have time to look back, as they were praised. Well, it means that acquaintance with gasoline is postponed the next day, but still have to take blue Note.

The exterior of the model turned out to be interesting. Front attention attracts big headlights with sampling of dimensions, like on Micra. Rear is also an unusual lighting of expressive lights in the form of a boomeranga, coming far to the roof. Thanks to it, the height of the car is being blocked, and a very curved roof line looks advantageous. It is curious that a man named Taji Toyota worked on the design of Note. Interestingly, is it easy with such a name to make a career in Nissan? At first, for the wheel of Note, I sat down my colleague, and I got the opportunity to carefully examine the interior design and the quality of its execution. There are no complaints. The front panel strongly reminded Nissan Micra (for example, the same well-successful climate control unit with two burst buttons and the circular display), but it looks all the order of magnificent and solid. The devices slightly surprised by a white background and the compactness of the scales with numbers was placed a little more than half of the circumference of the speedometer and the tachometer. The three-spoke steering wheel with the music control buttons on form similar to the one that is installed on 350Z liked it. I liked the two-bed CD receiver. Not bad elastic chairs with cloth upholstery.

In the cabin, the mass of containers for storing shallow boosted, which is characteristic of the family car. Surprised the glove box. His capabilities of Chris Lee demonstrated to journalists with the help of jar with gas production during one of the coffee stops. Instead of the calculated 12 cans, he unexpectedly managed to shove there and thirteenth! In addition to the cans, Chris enthusiastically stuffed in Note (not in the glove box, and already in a spacious trunk) bike, marching backpack, snowboarding is simple and understandable Salon transformation system allows you to increase the volume of cargo compartment from 280 to 437 liters, moving the back seat by 160 mm forward ( Japanese Note, by the way, this function is deprived). The next reserve of the useful volume of the Flexi-Board shelf system, which can be installed at two different levels. When and this is not enough, you will have to fold the backs of the rear seat, and, in the extreme case, and the back of the front. The maximum volume under luggage will be 1332 l!

In one of the evenings we were offered along the way to the restaurant to test ourselves as a passenger Note. Comfort that provides rear seats this car goes beyond the scope of usual even for models older in class. Thanks to the high landing, I managed to almost completely stretch my legs. Thank you for these children. They were in the process of polls, the creators of Note were interested, how best to equip the rear places. Children wished the scope to be exhaustive so that it was not necessary to deal with the sister brothers for the right not to sit with floating knees behind the Father. And they also wanted to have an individual outlet for connecting their video games, the central armrest, folding tables with cup holders and large pockets in the backs of the front seats. All this is now available as part of a so-called family package.

Ask what the heads of families await from Note, it was unnecessary. All of them want, even the family car is controlled not only reliably, but also tasty. Moment diesel (maximum value of 200 nm), borrowed from Renault, disperses a light machine well, but also noise is decent, especially on higher revs. The gasoline 110-strong motor liked more and noise smaller, and ride more fun. In the city of Note, it is not getting lost if the 5-speed box work is laughed. True, together with her, he got from Renault and the cable drive of the error switching mechanism it does not allow, but the lack of clarity is felt.

On the highway, the 1.6-liter Note is easily gaining cruising 160 km / h and demonstrates sufficient elasticity during overtaking. True, it quickly did not allow the strongest Mistral thatifies in these parts most of the year. The wind is still a matter of the sailing car from the road. Yes, and in reminders about limiting the speed of lack there was no.

In the calm, Note confidently kept directly and allowed himself to feel relaxed at the wheel. For family travels on light tracks, it will fit perfectly. But it often wants young dads and charge in their pleasure. When the route smoothly switched to winding rural tracks and mountain serpentines, Nissan was able to please the collected handling and understandable reactions. In the process of European adaptation, engineers were reconfigured by a suspension, changing the characteristics of rubber sleeves, springs and stabilizers. The result is not bad. Rolls from a high car, of course, happen, but sports driving in the family class to such limits is rare.

It is unlikely that the Note host will have a claim and the operation of the electric power steering wheel, despite the fact that the ram is loaded with non-secreive, programmed resistance (as on most other cars with a similar system). Most likely, the average driver of this will simply not be noticed, but will rejoice that there is a pronounced zero in a neutral position and with an increase in speed, the steering wheel is noticeably poured.

I liked the brakes a small course of pedals and high informativeness. True, there were questions about the effectiveness of the ESP work (it is installed only on the versions with gasoline engines) in a pair with drummers from behind. Its O.K., assured Chris Lee. There was no special reason to doubt, but to check the system in the case did not succeed. My segment on gasoline Note came exclusively on a lively motorway.

Naturally, the main issue remained the price of new items in the Russian market. It is still unknown and will be voiced closer to the beginning of sales in April. It is also known only to complete configurations in which we will see Note. Their three Comfort, Luxury and Tekna. Last top (Family Package, Flexi-Board, Leather Salon, Electric Call, Fog Lights, Rain Sensor, Automatic Head Light, ESP) Available only with a 1.6-liter motor. In Europe, Note will ask from 12,000 to 20,000. If our price tag gets at the beginning of this range, the success of the model is provided.

Text: Sergey Zamensky
 

A source: Motor magazine [March 2006]