Let's be real: When it comes to hybrids, a lot of Pinoys are still a little apprehensive. That said, it's a bit of a surprise that Nissan's e-Power tech has been accepted in the market. Just take a look at the number of Nissan Kicks crossovers you see all over the place.
Safe to say then that Nissan is on to something with e-Power. Over in Japan, the brand already has several models that use this powertrain arrangement. So, would do you reckon there's room for one more e-Power model in the Philippines?
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That brings us neatly to the recently updated Nissan Note. It's been given a bit of a nip and a tuck for the 2024 model year, and we reckon it can shake up the small hatchback market here. Granted, it's not quite a volume segment, but it still has its fair share of buyers, right?
Over in Japan, the Nissan Note competes directly with the all-new Honda Fit/Jazz and the ‘true’ Toyota Yaris. All its competitors offer electrification, and all aren't offered in the Philippines. But hey, Nissan Philippines can fix that should they consider bringing in the Note e-Power here somehow.
The specs are the same as before, but it doesn't take away from the fact that this powertrain combination is a novel idea that works. Its 1.2-liter engine's sole purpose is the charge its batteries, meaning its electric motors are fully charged as often as possible. It uses similar hardware to the Kicks e-Power, so it makes about 134hp and 280Nm of torque. It's no Tesla, but we sure won't complain about nearly 40km/L in terms of fuel consumption.
As for what's new for '24, the new Nissan Note follows the brand's new corporate look. There's a bolder front end with revamped slits and accents, along with a redesigned bumper. At the same time, the rear section gets a few tweaks here and there, and those wheel covers are a mix of an '80s throwback with a touch of a futurism.
A few improvements were made inside, too. While it looks identical to before, the dash inserts have a new pattern plus seats get new trimmings. The glovebox also gets a more flexible layout, and there's even an option of a swiveling driver's seat for easier access.
But aside from the Note, there is another Nissan e-Power model we'd like to see here. It's the all-new Serena, and we're lucky enough to have driven it too. All we can say is, we'd like both these products to be sold here someday.
