Nissan Tries to Convince Us the Note Can Float, But Why? [w/Video]

New car launches can be boring, especially when they follow the same classic set-up. However, Nissan wanted something special for the UK launch of the new Note, so it turned the small B-segment car into a boat of sorts.

Nissan literally launched the specially-adapted Note Boat on the Eton Dorney Lake in the UK, along with three superstar Olympic rowers: Helen Glover, Sophie Hosking and Polly Swann.

The carmaker says the Note Boat “provides a visual demonstration of Note's exciting technologies”, more specifically the sliding rear seat (turned into a single stroke seat for a rower), the rear doors, which open to almost 90 degrees allowing the fitting of a pair of oars which can move through an almost entire rowing stroke, and the Around View Monitor 360-degree parking system, which helped the rowers see where they were going and keep their lane.

The Note’s Around View Monitor with Safety Shield technology features four cameras - one in the front, one at the rear and one under each door mirror - providing a helicopter-style top down view.

I’m not sure what point Nissan wanted to make with this publicity stunt, other than the Note can be placed onto a raft and claim it’s a rowing boat by fitting a pair of oars. Imagine if the event went wrong – that would have definitely got a lot of media coverage.

As for the Note that prefers roads to lakes, UK deliveries  kicked off on October 1, with Nissan receiving 3,860 orders so far.

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO

Consumer Reports Rates Fiat 500L, Nissan Versa Note and Infiniti Q50

One has to be careful when watching many car video reviews to not lose their own views and opinions, and oust them in favor of what somebody else said. It’s so obvious sometimes that reviewers peek over the fence and end up all pointing out the same qualities and flaws over and over again, until you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s the way things are, full stop.

However, I’ve noticed that with Consumer Reports reviews, a new perspective is brought forth, on cars we already knew, by highlighting qualities or flaws that may have been (repeatedly) overlooked by others.

It may be down to the way they test the cars, or just their attitude towards them, but for instance, their freshly-uploaded quick takes for the Fiat 500L, Nissan Versa Note and Infiniti Q50 stand separately from the mainstream. According to them, the Note leaves the impression of being the best all-round car of the trio, despite at first glance seeming to be the least desirable…

The Infiniti is penalized for its vague steering that can get an optional steer-by-wire system, which makes things even worse in that respect. The Fiat wins points on style and space, but its automatic gearbox is dimwitted and the limited choice of engines (only one available) further hurts what is otherwise an enticing package for families.

Check out the videos for all three cars, below.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Nissan Says New Note Previews North and South American Versa Hatchback

If you had a hunch that the new Nissan Note for global markets including Japan and Europe would form the base for a replacement to the North American market Versa hatchback, you may pat yourself on the back.
The Japanese carmaker just announced that the next generation of the sub-compact Versa hatchback, which will arrive within the next year, "will receive a fresh new look that takes design cues from the new Note".

New Nissan Note Global Compact Car: First Photos and Videos

The all-new second generation Nissan Note made its world premiere today during a special event held at the Osanbashi venue in Yokohama, Japan.
The new Note is the production version of the Invitation Concept that we first laid eyes on at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show this past March and for the most part, it has remained true to the design study.
While the previous Note was more of a small MPV, its successor has been designed to lean more towards the hatchback category.
However, compared to other superminis in the B-Segment like the Renault Clio and Ford Fiesta, it features a taller roof promising what Nissan describes as an "airy cabin" that is "beyond expectations for a car in this class".