The second-generation Nissan Note mini MPV debuted in Japan today, featuring a more dramatic design. Nissan is calling the car's deep character line a "Squash Line," perhaps because it looks like someone squashed the side of the car with the prow of a kayak.
We're more excited about other aspects of the Note than its design, the first being that Nissan will be fitting the car with its Around View Monitor system. Once the province of high-spec Infiniti models, that this camera system has now found its way into the subcompact segment can only point to the technology's proliferation throughout Nissan's product line. While we are big fans of Around View Monitor, we do wonder, however, whether it's really necessary in cars this small?
Our second area of interest lies under the hood, where Nissan is fitting a three-cylinder engine. Don't scoff, as we're willing to bet that just as four is the new six today, three will be tomorrow's new four. This one comes in a neat variant, supercharged and direct injected with a compression ratio of 13:1. Nissan claims the Note will be able to hit "class leading economy of 25.2 km/L" which converts to 59 mpg. The same engine fitted in the new Nissan March makes 92 horsepower and 105 lb-ft of torque, which could be enough power to give this engine a potential future in the North American market.
For now though, the Japanese Note is slated to launch in September, with the European version bowing sometime next year.
More pictures here:http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2013-nissan-note/