Nissan’s doubled its challenge in Britain’s city car segment with the roll out of the new Note and Micra, both built in Washington, Tyne and Wear.
The latest models in the the B-segment combine new looks with sector-first technologies and innovation and there’s a new Juke model as well.
Seamlessly connecting design and technology, the new Note brings a number of innovative premium features to the small car market for the first time and the four-door body hides a 325-411 litres bootspace.
From the Nissan Safety Shield – which links three safety systems to create a comprehensive protection and driver assistance package – to the advanced around view monitor which gives a 360-degree bird’s eye view when parking, the new Note sets the benchmark for accessible premium technology.
Blind Spot Warning, Lane Departure Warning and an advanced Moving Object Detection system combine to deliver a new level of assistance to the driver behind the Safety Shield.
Note (shown left) is powered by a range of engines that combine low running costs with strong performance. Three units will be offered: a 1.2-litre petrol with 80PS, a supercharged 1.2-litre DIG-S with 98PS, and a 90PS 1.5-litre dCi turbodiesel. CVT is available on the DIG-S models or there are standard five-speed manual gearboxes. All variants are equipped with an idle stop/start system as standard and record CO2 emissions as low as 92g/km for diesel and 99g/km for petrol.
Combined fuel economy figures range from 4.7 l/100km for the 80PS 1.2-litre petrol engine to 3.6 l/100km for the 1.5-litre dCi.
They come in familiar Visia, Acenta and Tekna trim levels but owners can also specify a family pack or performance styling pack.
Joining the Note in Nissan’s exciting small car range is the new Micra.
With over 30 years of history and sales of over six million units to date, the Micra remains one of Nissan’s most recognizable and popular cars around the world but it’s been given a massive make-over both inside and out and it gets NissanConnect and a host of personalisation options.
The new system also incorporates advanced features such as Google Send-To-Car technology, which allows an owner to plan a journey on their PC or tablet at home or in the office and then send the instructions to the car ahead of the journey.
Micra (left) benefits from a raft of innovations and design touches to make life easier and more enjoyable. Nissan’s latest Connect navigation and communication centre joins the range, while new personalization options give buyers the opportunity to create their perfect Micra. Nissan’s latest three-cylinder 1.2-litre direct injection supercharged (DIG-S) petrol unit powers the latest Micra.
It develops 98PS and diesel-like economy with emissions from just 95 g/km. DIG-S engines also feature automatic stop/start when the car is stationary improving fuel economy by around 4 per cent.
All versions of New Micra DIG-S wear Nissan’s PURE DRIVE badge, signifying cars that produce emissions of 120g/km or lower – the threshold is being reduced by 10g/km from 130g/km during the course of 2013.
The entry-level 1.2 unit develops 80PS for lively performance and emissions from 115 g/km. New Micra is front-wheel drive with a slick five-speed manual gearbox as standard or optionally the latest generation CVT.
Nissan’s drive to deliver advanced engineering to all its B-segment offerings is further demonstrated by the arrival of a new Juke diesel.
Developed by Nissan Alliance partner Renault, the new engine features Stop/Start idle system as standard for the first time and incorporates revised gearing for better drivability and refinement.
A significant increase in torque (up from 240Nm to 260Nm) and improved turbo response at low engine speeds delivers improved flexibility and performance.
With lowered CO2 emissions of just 109g/km and a 12.5% improvement in fuel economy, the Juke represents an even more compelling package for small car buyers looking to stand out from the crowd.
“This is a significant moment in Nissan’s development.” said Paul Willcox, Senior Vice President for Nissan Sales and Marketing in Europe. “The arrival of the new European-built Note, new Micra and new-generation Juke diesel gives Nissan one of the most comprehensive small car ranges on the market. All three have been designed and engineered to live up to the Nissan brand promise of delivering innovation that excites.”
Nissan product manager Dylan Kenneway said they were anticipating selling over 15,000 Micra models and 22,000 Note in a full year, with the former increasing its retail sales from the previous 50pc to approximately 65pc as private buyers take advantage of its improved equipment and finance deals.
He said that the Note was being introduced with a strong promotion on personal contract plans based on a 30pc down-payment deposit and £149 a month and a 6.9pc interest rate for hire purchase. Micra comes with a discounted £1,200 off the price if you take out Nissan finance.
Nissan expect half the Micra and Note sales will be the 1.2 normally aspirated petrol in Acenta and Acenta Premium trim levels but 30pc could be the supercharged 1.2 version with the diesel making up the remainder. Top line Tekna trim is projected to account for just 15pc of registrations and the entry level Visia will amount to just 5pc.
First impressions
Our Note Acenta Premium with its diesel engine achieved a remarkable 67.7mpg on a brief test.
It was sometimes slow accelerating and you had to ensure you selected the best of the modest five gears to pull away from rest or when overtaking as it took time to build up power.
The easy clutch contrasted with the direct but notchy long travel gear lever and slightly dead feeling steering but the quality feel to the secondary controls and the high visibility large instruments were welcome.
Ride was reasonable and only really comfortable on motorways while the handling was lifeless even if the grip was safe. In the Micra I felt I was riding on it rather than in it as I did with the Note.
The extra urge from the super-charged 1.2 was apparent and welcome on country roads as much as busy motorways and it was a considerably livelier car with a very good turning circle in town. I also achieved about 43.2mpg.
Surprisingly, the steering and gearchange felt not as refined as the powertrain.
For a B-sector car it was pleasantly roomy with a good sized shopping boot and very good rear seats access for loading child seats or their occupants.
Both Micra and Note are considerably improved over predecessors, except they suffered from a surprising amount of road noise and there seemed little insulation to speak of to protect the under-body from flying stones.
Nissan has obviously put a lot of technology into the latest Micra and Note but have omitted some noticeable refinement which I felt should have been included.
