At first glance, 180km of range for an electric vehicle doesn’t sound too impressive—more so if you’re comparing it to the Teslas and Volkswagens of the world. For an urbanite like this, though? That kind of usability may be just about right.
Say hello to the Nissan Sakura. This cute little thing is the Japanese carmaker’s latest EV offering. At just 3,395mm in length and with a 2,495mm wheelbase, it’s ultra-compact. At this size, this thing should be a breeze to drive around the city. It might also be just the kind of vehicle a cramped metropolis like Metro Manila needs.
Don’t let this little guy’s looks deceive you—it can actually get ahead of you on the expressway. With a max speed of 180kph, it’s no slouch. Its electric setup can also churn out 47kw and an impressive 195Nm of torque. The latter, as with all EVs, comes immediately by the way.
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Storing this EV’s juice is a 20kWh lithium-ion battery. While its standard charging time to 100% is a yawn-inducing eight hours, it actually fills up rather quickly with a quick charger. With one, you can reach an 80% charge from a battery warning light in a lightning-fast 40 minutes. Not bad at all.
So it’s small, stylish, comes with a decent range, and can charge to 80% in a jiffy with the right equipment. The real selling point here, though? It’s the price. Nissan says the Sakura will start at an affordable ¥1.78 million (just under P730,000).
Would you buy something like the Sakura if it was made available in the local market? Or do you think the local setting is an ill fit for kei cars like this?
More photos of the 2022 Nissan Sakura
