Nissan Note test drive since 2005 minivan

A lot of space out of nothing

Nissan Note - there should be many small cars
Note is a fundamentally new car in the Nissan model line. This is an attempt to combine two diverse values: the utilitarianism of the family car and dynamics - both in management and in design.
The B+segment, which is Nissan Note, until recently was considered an extremely narrow niche in the automotive market. In 1998, only two models could be attributed to cars between traditional hatchbacks from the segment B and cars from the segment C (golf class). Now 12 cars are already fighting for buyers in this niche. The best sold among them is Opel Meriva. About 200,000 copies of this model are sold annually in Europe. Other leaders of this class are Ford Fusion, Fiat Idea, Peugeot 206SW, Mitsubishi Colt.
In this case, Nissan had to catch up with competitors. By releasing Note on the market, the manufacturer was not enough to copy the solutions that are already used on other cars. It was necessary to come up with something new. Note developers turned to ... children.
Typically, marketing studies of the needs and tastes of motorists are conducted among car owners, ”says Chris Lee, Product Planning Manager Chris Lee. - However, in the case of NOTE, our company turned to children and adolescents who usually occupy the rear seats in the car.
For research at the Nissan Technical Center in Krenfield (Great Britain), a group of children aged 8 to 16 years was collected. Their views on the internal arrangement of the car, as it turned out, are noticeably different from the ideas of adults.
Many of the adolescents surveyed said that they always fight with their brothers and sisters so as not to sit behind the driver, especially if the father was driving, and there is almost no place for him.
Thanks to the elongated wheelbase, Nissan Note rear passengers do not suffer from a lack of space. Inside, the new Nissan model is not only spacious than classmates, but also exceeds traditional hatchbacks and sedans from more adult category C.
The survey also showed that most children and adolescents would like to have a separate space in the car, delimited from a neighbor at least a armrest. In families with three children, the youngest constantly complained that he gets a place in the middle of the posterior sofa, and it, as a rule, is not comfortable.
Nissan designers listened to the complaints of kids, and in the rear seats Note appeared a leaning armrest and a full -fledged third passenger place.
The study also showed that during the trip, children prefer to do their own business. Therefore, for each of them, individual lighting is provided in NOTE. Following the wishes of children and adolescents, the creators of Nissan Note toned the rear windows and installed an electric outlet for passengers of the second row, to which, for example, a DVD player can be connected.
However, while working on the Note project, engineers listened not only to children. At the development stage, 650 adult potential buyers from Germany were interviewed - it is generally recognized that in this country, motorists are approaching the purchase of a car most selectively.
Without falsehood
Judging by the appearance of Note, Nissan designers expected, first of all, to attract the attention of men to the car. The interior design style is sports -functional. It has no place for playfulness inherent in female models. The decoration uses materials of very high quality, pleasant both in appearance and to the touch. Unlike frankly female Micra (these two cars are created on a single platform), Note has a very aggressive appearance: in the design of the front of the car, the style of the Murano crossover is traced. A bright detail of the exterior of the car is the rear light block made in the form of boomerang. And the boomerang, as you know, is a hunting weapon of men ...
... Most fathers in a young family probably do not want to put up with mediocre handling of a car, which is usually sacrificed in favor of practicality. Therefore, Nissan engineers tried to take into account the requirements of drivers who love the active style of driving. On the mountain roads near Marseille, where the Nissan Note presentation was held, the car showed that their management is not a boring occupation.
Note hardness by 25% exceeds the stiffness of the Nissan Micra hatchback body. Thanks to this, as well as due to a well -tuned steering wheel power steering, the car is enough in the control. Note steep turns are passing without excessive rolls, diligently clinging to the asphalt wheels with 16-inch discs (15-inch discs are offered in the basic configuration). In quick turns, NOTE did not show a typical character for family cars - insufficient rotation (when the car slips out the turn with front wheels). At the same time, the provocation to discharge gas in the bend in order to cause the absence of the rear axle, the car was ignored. Well, such predicted behaviors are quite to the face of a family model.
At the wheel of NOTE you do not feel like a bus driver - also a very common feeling of driving cars with a single -combed body. The landing behind the wheel is quite passenger, the steering wheel is located in the optimal plane, but, however, it would not have prevented the additional horizontal adjustment.
Active driving frankly interferes with a not very clear gear shift mechanism. The driver has to look for the desired gear, when moving the lever of a mechanical gearbox, there is a chance not to get into the desired speed.
Another noticeable drawback of the model is exchange rate with strong gusts of the side wind. On the other hand, this is a shortcoming of many models with a relatively high body: Renault Megane II, and Fiat Stilo, and Peugeot 1007. Another argument in defense of Note - the test took place with the fierce wind of the mistral, characteristic of Marseille. In such conditions, it is possible that lower cars would demolish.
Nissan Note will be delivered to Russia with two variants of power units - a volume of 1.4 liters (88 hp) and 1.6 liters (110 hp). On the test in Marseille, it was possible to get acquainted with only a more powerful gasoline version of Note. A diesel car was also represented - with a 1.5 liter engine with a capacity of 86 hp, but diesel Note will not be supplied to our country.
On the mountain roads, in urban mode and on the highway, the Note gasoline engine did not fake. It would be an exaggeration to say that the car was dynamically starting from traffic lights and easily overtook the high -speed BMW and Mercedes on the autobahn. The advantage of the NOTE engine is different - it has a good torque, which allows you to not too often switch transmissions in the urban driving mode and predictably overtake cars on high -speed straight lines.
The Nissan Note provides three levels of configuration: Comfort, Luxury and Tekna. The two upper configurations have four airbags (there are two of them on Comfort), ABS with an auxiliary emergency braking system. On all versions, a sliding rear seat is installed, a central lock on all doors, there is a secret compartment under the front seat, tables and pockets for the rear passengers.
The car has a transforming trunk: there are two cunning panels on the floor. One of the sides of the panels has a front pile coating, and the other is made of rubber, which is easily cleaned of dirt. The panels are located in two levels. If you install them in the upper position and fold the backs of the rear seats, then there will be an even floor in the trunk. A secret compartment is formed under the panels with a height of 20 cm, where you can abandon the things rarely used, but the necessary things in the road: canister, cigarette lighter, brush, etc. Convenient and very practical option.
Offering various options for NOTE, we did not strive for the external effect, ”says Gilles Muanjan, senior marketing manager Nissan Europe. Indeed, a set of additional devices for the car is very practical and appropriate. The chip key is especially convenient, which allows you to open and close the doors of the cabin, to start the car without getting the key from the pocket.
To date, the cost of Nissan Note for Russia has not yet been determined. Apparently, the basic version of Note will cost somewhat more expensive than the ALMERA model (prices for it start from $ 15,000), but will not come beyond $ 16,000.
Igor Komarov
 

Source: Wheel (company)