Nissan Note

Nissan Note at a glance

All Nissan models, including the Micra that replaced the Note in Europe, are listed in our Nissan catalogue. The European Note was assembled in Sunderland for the whole European market, and its upright body put it between a supermini and a compact MPV.

Generations of the Nissan Note

First generation (E11, 2005-2013)

Nissan previewed the Note with the Tone concept at the 2004 Paris Motor Show and launched the production car in Japan on 20 January 2005. The European version followed at the Frankfurt show in 2005; Sunderland started building it in January 2006 and UK sales began on 1 March 2006. Under the skin it shares its architecture with the Renault Modus, but the Note is the longer car, with a 2,600 mm wheelbase and a sliding rear bench that helped it compete with taller MPVs.

A facelift appeared at the 2008 Paris Motor Show and reached German showrooms in January 2009, followed by a further update for the 2011 model year. The E11 sold 71,659 cars in Europe in its first full year (2006), and Nissan counted 940,000 Notes worldwide by July 2012. Production ended in 2013.

Second generation (E12, 2012-2020)

The E12 was based on the Nissan Invitation concept shown at Geneva in 2012 and moved to the cheaper V platform also used by the Micra K13. It went on sale in Japan on 3 September 2012 and in Europe in the autumn of 2013, again built in Sunderland. Its drag coefficient is 0.298. In the United States the same body was sold as the Versa Note from mid-2013.

Nissan stopped building the Note for Europe in March 2017 to free capacity in Sunderland for the Qashqai, and the Micra K14 took its place in the range. Japan kept the E12 until December 2020 and added the Note e-Power in November 2016: a 1.2-litre petrol engine drives only a generator, while an 80 kW (109 PS) electric motor borrowed from the Leaf turns the front wheels; the battery holds only 1.5 kWh and cannot be plugged in. It became Japan's best-selling compact car in 2018.

Third generation (E13, since 2020)

The E13 was revealed on 24 November 2020 and went on sale in Japan on 23 December 2020. It uses the CMF-B platform shared with the Renault Clio V and is sold only as an e-Power hybrid. The upmarket Note Aura (2021) is 40 mm wider and has a 100 kW (136 PS) front motor; an Autech Crossover with 25 mm more ground clearance and a sporty Aura Nismo complete the range. The E13 has not been offered in Europe.

Engines, transmissions and performance

These are the main European engines with ADAC data. All drive the front wheels.

The E11 used five-speed manuals and a four-speed automatic for the 1.6. In the E12 the supercharged 1.2 DIG-S could be paired with the Xtronic CVT, while the 59 kW (80 PS) 1.2 and the diesel came only with five-speed manuals. In the Japanese E13 the 1.2-litre HR12DE engine (60 kW) only charges the battery; the four-wheel-drive version adds a 50 kW (68 PS) rear motor.

Dimensions, space and boot

The 2,600 mm wheelbase is long for a car barely over four metres, and it is the same in both European generations. The E12 gained 45 litres of boot space over the E11 despite a 15 mm lower roof, and its folded load volume grew by 163 litres.

Fuel economy and running costs

On the old NEDC cycle the E11 1.4 used 6.3 l/100 km (about 37 mpg US) and emitted 150 g/km of CO2. The E12 was far more frugal: 4.7 l/100 km for the 59 kW (80 PS) 1.2, 4.3 l/100 km (99 g/km) for the supercharged DIG-S and 3.6 l/100 km (93 g/km) for the 1.5 dCi. Our fuel cost calculator turns any of these figures into a yearly fuel bill.

Trims, equipment and prices

In Germany the E11 started at EUR 14,140 for the 1.4 Visia in 2006, with Acenta and Tekna above it; the facelifted car opened at EUR 13,490 (2009). Later special editions were called i-way and i-way+. The E12 was sold as Visia, Acenta, Acenta+, N-TEC, Tekna and Black Edition, priced from EUR 13,990 (1.2 Visia, 2013) to EUR 22,030 for the 1.2 DIG-S Tekna Xtronic (2015).

Safety

Euro NCAP tested a 1.4 Acenta in July 2006 and awarded four stars, with 84% for adult occupants, 65% for children and 42% for pedestrians. The E12 also earned four stars in November 2013 (86% adult occupant, 82% child occupant, 58% vulnerable road users, 70% safety assist). The E13 has not been tested by Euro NCAP. See our safety ratings for newer small cars.

Reliability and known issues

We found no systematic, well-documented fault pattern for the Note in our sources, so we do not list any here. Like any used car, check the service history; the E12 diesel shares its 1.5 dCi (K9K) with many Renault and Dacia models, so parts are widely available.

Rivals

The Honda Jazz was the Note's closest match in concept: a tall supermini with a flexible rear seat, 354 litres of boot and a CVT option, but a higher starting price in Germany. The comparison tool lets you set the Note against other small cars.

Photo gallery