After the March, Cube, and Tiida, Nissan produced the Note as its fourth compact vehicle. It was created with the idea of “pleasant driving” as a “small automobile for flexible use.” The Note is designed to combine safe and enjoyable driving, a chic and comfortable cabin, and practical equipment. The design philosophy behind the Nissan Note is “relax, smile, and enjoy.” It has a vibrant, cutting-edge appearance. With its large, brilliant headlamps and boomerang-shaped rear combo lamps, the design is modern and fashionable. Despite having a short overall body length (3990 mm), the Nissan Note has long wheelbases that measure roughly 2600 mm. It consequently features a nice interior and a large load area. Note has a helpful 2-layered, multi-configurable trunk that is one of its features. Passengers can place their bags at the top and bottom of the trunk separately thanks to this feature. The headrest can be folded flat on the back seats without removing them. Nissan Note’s 1.5 liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine is its powerplant. For transmission, FF-type vehicles can use an Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission), while 4WD-type vehicles can use a 4-speed AT. The Nissan Note is also a green vehicle. According to the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport’s low-emission vehicle certification system, all of its designs have attained the “2005 exhaust gas standard 75% reduction level.” The inside of the Nissan Note was upgraded in December 2005. New door trims and seat materials were used. A new black sporty interior was also implemented, just for the Note 15RX.
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Engines
Only three engines are available from Nissan for the Note: two petrol engines and a single 1.5-litre diesel engine that is used in many other Renault-Nissan Alliance cars. The entry-level 1.2-liter, three-cylinder engine with 79 horsepower operates admirably, offering a respectable amount of torque and free-revving qualities.
The 1.2 DiG-S, a 97bhp supercharged variation of the standard three-cylinder engine, is the petrol engine you truly want. The supercharger, which introduces technology typically found in high-performance Jaguars, increases power and, in particular, torque: instead of producing 110Nm, the high-power DiG-S 98 produces 147Nm, which significantly reduces downshifts and has a considerable impact on in-gear flexibility.
The best performance in the lineup is provided by the Nissan Note diesel engine.
The Nissan Note shares engines with a few of the company’s other vehicles, like the Nissan Qashqai. One diesel engine and two gasoline engines are available.
Compared to the previous Note, this one has a sportier-feeling to the driver, which is code for a less comfortable ride. This is because the suspension is stronger, which lessens the prior model’s excessive bounciness. Although the Note is simple to drive and has light controls, performance isn’t its finest suit.
However, few of its immediate rivals provide anything better. We discovered that the Hyundai ix20 is underpowered, and the Kia Venga gives a fairly subpar driving experience. The Honda Jazz lacks any sort of driving enjoyment due to its outdated engine lineup. Even the Renault Clio, which offers a quiet and comfortable ride, has handling issues.
The Ford Fiesta is your best option in this price range if having fun while driving is important to you and you don’t mind not being forced to buy an MPV to satisfy your needs.
options for engines, velocities, acceleration, and refining
The 1.2-liter three-cylinder, normally aspirated engine with 79 horsepower is the base model for the Nissan Note. The 1.2-liter DIG-S supercharged petrol version, which has 97 horsepower, comes next. When not in use, the supercharger is removed through a clutch.
Nissan’s supercharged engine produces an exceptionally low 99g/km of CO2, but if the normal five-speed manual transmission is substituted with the CVT automatic gearbox, that number rises to 119g/km.
The 1.5-liter dCi turbodiesel from Renault, which offers 89 horsepower, 95 g/km, and, once again, a five-speed transmission, is the champion in terms of fuel efficiency.
A 79bhp 1.2-liter triple is unlikely to make a particularly bright appearance on your radar if you’re looking for great straight-line performance. Although a headline time of 12.6 seconds for the 0-60 mph sprint may not seem quick, keep in mind that this automobile also boasts a combined cycle fuel economy of 60.1 mpg and CO2 emissions of just 109 g/km.
The Note is a rather competitive performance from that angle. The last time we calculated a 1.2-liter supermini, the Peugeot 208 demanded 14.2 seconds to complete the same benchmark despite being 15 kg lighter and 2 bhp more potent than the Note.
The Peugeot did, however, respond with better in-gear performance at the lower end of the rpm range; the 208 is more responsive than the Note between 30 and 50 mph in third (7.6 seconds) and between 50 and 70 mph in fourth (12.2 seconds) (8.4sec and 12.8sec respectively). The Note’s three-cylinder engine enjoys a few revs; if you give it enough time, it will reach its redline at 6800 rpm, but we doubt many purchasers will take it that far. You wouldn’t do it by mistake, without a doubt.
Nissan Note Receives Dynamic Styling Pack and Supercharged DIG-S Engine for Geneva [with Video]
At the Geneva Motor Show, Nissan said it will introduce the Note’s top-of-the-line DIG-S petrol engine as well as the factory-installed optional Dynamic Styling Pack.
The 3-cylinder, 1.2-liter DIG-S direct-injected petrol engine has a supercharger that increases output to 98PS (97hp) and 147 Nm (108 lb-ft) of torque, an increase of 18hp over the engine’s naturally-aspirated counterpart. The supercharged vehicle has a 4.3 l/100 km (54.7 mpg US) fuel economy and a 99 g CO2 per kilometre emissions rate.
To increase efficiency, the engine uses the Miller Cycle combustion process, which involves adding a two-stage intake stroke (thus creating a fifth stroke) by leaving the intake valve open longer than in a standard engine.
According to Nissan, the Miller Cycle results in a more thorough combustion phase when combined with a greater compression ratio and the supercharger’s output boost at low engine speeds. In addition, the supercharger features an electrical clutch that disconnects it from the engine when it is not in use, minimizing frictional power losses.
The 1.2-liter DIG-S engine is equipped with Nissan’s Idle Stop/Start system, same like the 80 PS 1.2-liter unit and the 90 PS 1.5-liter diesel. An XTronic CVT gearbox is an option in addition to the regular five-speed manual transmission with which the engine is paired.
In addition to the engine, DIG-S versions come standard with 16-inch alloy wheels and changes to the suspension for better ride and handling. Nissan anticipates that DIG-S cars will represent 25% of Note sales in Europe.
Nissan will also present the Dynamic Styling Pack (DSP) for the Note in addition to the DIG-S model. The DSP package, which is offered by Acenta grade, is comparable to the SR package available in the United States and features a factory-fitted option that improves the appearance of the car by adding two-tone diamond cut 16-inch alloy wheels, rear privacy glass, a carbon-look rear bumper, a tidy rear roof spoiler, side sills, as well as a more aggressive front bumper with a glossy black grille and topped by black bezel headlamps.
Engines for the Nissan Note Hatchback (2013–2017)
It’s not surprising that the Nissan Note’s performance isn’t particularly outstanding given the three engine options available—one diesel and two petrol, none of which are particularly powerful.
The 1.2-liter petrol, a three-cylinder engine with 80hp and 110Nm, is the base model in the lineup. It’s understandable if that doesn’t seem like much; it isn’t. The bad news is that you’ll need to push the car hard to benefit from these numbers; peak torque only happens at 4,000 rpm, and peak power happens 2,000 rpm later.
The alternative petrol engine, which is essentially the same 1.2-litre three-cylinder block but has a supercharger attached, thankfully produces some more reasonable figures. The peak 99 horsepower power hits 400 rpm quicker, and the forced induction boosts output by 18 horsepower and a more useful 37 Nm. However, the highest torque number of 147Nm doesn’t appear until 4,400 rpm.
It does seem a little out of breath when you’re driving, and you have to work hard to get any kind of performance out of it. When you do this, the engine becomes very noisy as the revs increase and a little supercharger whine is added to the sound. Despite this, the engine remains smooth and is far quieter than the one in the new Micra. It is obvious that the Note has additional soundproofing.
The Nissan Note’s supercharged 1.2-liter engine can reach a top speed of 112 mph and sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 11.7 seconds if you make the most of the available power. And this engine becomes your sole option if you require or desire an automatic Nissan Note.
The 1.5-liter diesel Note is a far better option if you can continue with the five-speed manual transmission, since even if it takes longer (11.9 seconds) to reach 62 mph, the torque it produces in the intermediate causes it to seem faster when you’re driving.
The car’s temperament is perfectly suited to the power delivery, which is relaxing but flexible and makes the full 200Nm available from 1,750rpm. It does, however, mean that you won’t need to change gears very frequently, which is a blessing because, despite the five-speed manual’s lightness and ease of use, the throw is vague, with fifth gear on the left-hand drive variant we tried being unusually far.
The engine’s refinement isn’t the best, but it’s totally tolerable and only really starts to bother you at the very top of its rev range. No matter what, it’s still our selection from the lineup.
When you first see the car, you may expect handling to be well down on the list of priorities, but even while it can’t quite match the Ford Fiesta through the corners, the new Nissan Note is far more capable than its predecessor.
Roll is tolerated admirably rather than impressively, and if it weren’t for the Nissan’s flat seats that offer no side support, you could drive it down a winding road with tremendous speed. Although the steering wheel doesn’t provide much feedback, you soon come to believe that the Note’s front tires have made contact with the pavement when turning in quickly.
Under hard-breaking, acceleration isn’t particularly severe enough to justify any meaningful pitch, and diving isn’t particularly extreme. Even if driving the Note isn’t very exciting, it fulfills all the tasks required of it without difficulty. The Note does feel complete and put together when used on the road.
A Nissan Note has a litre-based engine.
Three different engines are available for the Nissan Note. Among them are a standard 1.2-liter gasoline engine, a supercharged 1.2-liter DiG-S gasoline engine, and a well-known 1.5-liter dCi diesel engine found in about a dozen other Nissans and Renaults. It’s important to note that the Note’s engines all have stop/start functionality to conserve gasoline in standstill traffic.
If you don’t plan to travel a lot of miles annually, the basic 1.2-litre model might be the one to choose as it’s the least expensive to purchase and yet achieves 60.1 mpg in fuel efficiency.
The 1.2-liter DiG-S makes a fascinating noise because of its supercharger, but it doesn’t deliver the performance gain you might have anticipated. It feels a touch overpowered by the Note’s size, and the time from 0 to 62 mph is unimpressive (11.8 seconds). Few people would be unhappy with the average fuel economy of 65.7 mpg, though.
Even if the supercharged petrol is faster on paper, the Nissan Note diesel is the obvious pick and feels the fastest of all because to its fuel efficiency of 80mpg. Around town, it can be a little raucous, but it settles down quickly.
Does the Nissan Note’s engine come from Renault?
The supercharged 1.2-liter engine is the quickest Note currently available, though it’s not quite as quick as its high-tech nature suggests: it accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 11.8 seconds as opposed to the standard car’s 13.7 seconds. The DiG-S is also offered with an Xtronic CVT automatic transmission, which accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 12.6 seconds.
The 1.5 dCi 90, an 89bhp variant of the well-known Renault-Nissan four-cylinder turbo diesel engine, is the only diesel engine available. This also boasts a significant increase in torque; with 200Nm, it generates almost twice the pulling power of the original 1.2-liter gasoline at just 1,750 rpm as opposed to 4,000 rpm. For this reason, choosing diesel is worthwhile if you frequently drive a fully loaded Note.
The diesel’s performance isn’t far behind the DiG-S either; it accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 11.9 seconds and has a top speed of 111 mph, which is only 1 mph slower than the DiG-S. However, compared to the petrol engines, the diesel is a little clattery and noisy.
The only available manual gearbox is a five-speed model. It is quick enough, and the clutch is also quite light—both crucial factors in vehicles used in cities. The other option is the far less preferable automated Xtronic CVT gearbox. All CVT transmissions have the unnatural feeling of having only one speed, and if you drive swiftly, the engine will frequently be roaring noisily. Keep to the instructions unless absolutely necessary (and enjoy the significant PS1,100 saving).