Superminis, city cars, compact hatchbacks - whatever we want to call them - are an underrated bunch in Singapore.
The message from consumers in recent years, after all, has been quite clear: If a car doesn't have its ride height raised, it's unlikely to sell as well.
By this token, you'd expect more veteran names to have their work cut out for themselves in trying to stay atop of the game. But as the Nissan Note e-POWER continues to demonstrate - in slightly refreshed form now - nailing down the right ingredients from the get-go can still result in a enduringly winning recipe that continues to satisfy deeply.
Freshly Japanese-flavoured supermini
Against the grain of cutesy, characterful styling one normally expects from superminis, the pre-facelifted Note took a different tack.
In fact, it was a car you would consider sharply styled - with its triangular-studded front end, and slim and angular headlights. A partially retro-inspired rear end also saw a smoked-ish casing connecting the rear lights, with a contrasting black bumper adding some dashes of sportiness.
With a simple wave of its facelift wand, however, Nissan has slightly reversed gears this time.
Body-coloured elements now feature more heavily on the new Note - including a new rear bumper, and new grille inserts - with the lack of visual contrasts giving the car a less serious air than before. As an option, the car even gets new hubcaps featuring geometric patterns inspired by Japanese knots - or Mizuhiki patterns, as Nissan calls it.
Whether the Note is better looking than before is subjective, but this remains bold styling, albeit on a different, ahem, note. It also feels more Japanese Kei car-like in its feel now, too, especially if you go for one of the two newly-introduced dual-tone paintwork options; ours here was in the Turquoise/Dark Metal Grey combination.
It's on the inside and on the move, however, where the Note sings the same tune as before.
Picking up where the new hubcaps have left off, the dashboard now features a new Mizuhiki-patterned piece - which again, adds a bit more character over the outgoing one.
The new Note also comes with a light sprinkling of extra features: A Parking Distance Indicator - which lights up in the corresponding colours depending on your distance from the object behind - a Walk Away Lock/Approach Unlock function, and a split-level glovebox.
To be clear, these are slight enhancements that do not really detract from what the Note offered to begin with.
Digital real estate is still perfectly acceptable - if not particularly impressive - for its segment, courtesy of a 7.0-inch digital driver's display and a 9.0-inch aftermarket unit for its infotainment touchscreen. Bring a cable along to get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto working, and you'll easily get around the lacklustre feel on the latter.
Furthermore, considering the Note's size, interior space continues to impress too.
The hatch will not break a sweat if tasked to carry four average-sized Asian adults around regularly, while a fifth passenger won't struggle too much for legroom and headroom either - although one needs to have reasonable shoulder room expectations for a car under 1.7 metres wide. Remember its 340-litre boot, and you'll find the Note still punches above its weight in terms of space and practicality.
Meanwhile, the Note's relatively unorthodox powertrain continues to (mostly) delight on the move. Nissan's e-POWER technology should be familiar by now; the car's 1.2-litre naturally aspirated engine doesn't power the wheels directly, and instead generates power for a battery. This, in turn, feeds a single electric motor that entirely propels the front wheels.
To be clear, this isn't a spotless setup. You unfortunately don't feel far removed from the coarseness of the engine when it's charging the battery up (at idle), and any hard mash to the accelerator is enough to set it off again when you're on the move.
The huge flip side, however, is that the instancy of torque - and a relatively generous 280Nm, too - never gets old and makes the little hatch delightful to drive around. Plugging gaps in traffic is a breeze, especially with the Note's small size and good all-round visibility; ditto for supplanting road hogs.
Where there will be some surprise, however, is in its unexpected ride refinement. While the Note can understandably feel a little unsettled at lower speeds with its shorter wheelbase, it surprisingly excels when cruising on the highway. With its engine at less strain to generate power, too, the cabin is relatively well insulated from noise outside, and the ride feels stable and smooth.
The drivetrain also has another upshot: Efficiency. The short duration on our drive with the new car didn't provide us with enough data to make an assessment this time, but achieving a figure above 20km/L - as we previously did - shouldn't be an issue, making the Note e-POWER quite the fuel-sipper.
For such a small city, Singapore's roads can often feel like they are ruled wrongfully by large cars. Contrarily, in packing lots of practicality and pep in their pint-sized shells, cars like the Note feel right at home here, with their go-anywhere capabilities (we're talking MSCPs, of course - not mud).
While everything we've loved so far about the current-generation Note hasn't changed with this update, however, there is one big difference in 2024 - and we're not talking about the Note's new clothes.
Rather, the entry-level segment has heated up considerably - especially as fully-electric names have entered the fray. Where does that leave the Note today?
For now at least, we'd say the Note remains in a good place. A large proportion of today's buyers may be tantalised by the benefits of electrification (a smoother driving experience; lower running costs), yet shun the thought of plugging in on the regular. As emissions regulations are tightened in the interim, it's likely that hybrids - like the Note - are the ones that will grow to rule our roads.
While taking itself less seriously than before, the new Note e-POWER still manages to make a case for itself amidst the sea of new entry-level cars today - with its surprising roominess and practicality, general Singapore-geared disposition, and of course, interesting yet relevant drivetrain. Beneath the cosmetic refresh, the tune sung by the hatch is the still the same one. And just as it already did previously, we’d say this hits most of the right notes.
Here are a few other compact hatchbacks in Category A you might be interested in!
