Nissan Note (Japan, 2012-present)

The second generation of the Note has a bold exterior design with a grill that cuts directly into the headlights. It is a fantastic interpretation of Nissan’s corporate V-shaped face. The European Note gets sculpted mirrors with integrated turn signals that are not available in other regions. The wheel arches are slightly flared for a sportier look.

Nissan will offer a Dynamic Styling Pack on the Note that will add more trim around the front and rear of the car.

For the interior, Nissan has given European buyers a unique instrument panel that includes gauges for the driver’s throttle input and fuel economy, in addition to all of the standard gauges. The rear bench seat slides so that owners can balance cargo space and still carry passengers.

Nissan says that the real innovation for the Note comes from its Safety Shield, which are a collection of standard safety technologies on the top Tekna trim. These include standard blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, moving object detection and a rear view camera.

Options will include Nissan’s Around View Monitor camera system that will add cameras to the corners of the car and satellite navigation.

There will be three engine options for the Note, and all of the engines for the Note come standard with start/stop. The basic engine will be a 1.2-liter three-cylinder with 79hp and 110Nm (81lb-ft) of torque. It will get 4.7l/100km fuel economy and emit 109g/km of CO2 emissions.

The next step up will be a turbocharged version of the 1.2 three cylinder with 97hp and 142Nm (105lb-ft) of torque. It will use 4.3l/100km and emit 119g/km of CO2.

The final engine will be a 1.5-liter diesel with 88hp. It uses 3.6l/100km and emits 95g/km of CO2.

There will be three trim levels for the Note - Visia, Acenta and Tekna. The Acenta gets air conditioning, Bluetooth and electric rear windows. The Tekna gets standard Around View Monitor.