On the inside, the Note sets the right tone with a well-assembled interior, the harmony only spoiled by the great swathes of black, hard plastic. But although the switchgear operates smoothly and with decent feel, there’s little to surprise and delight. The Note’s smaller sister, the Micra – built alongside it at Nissan’s Sunderland factory – uses textiles on the dash and faux Bakelite for switches, which, while a bit twee, give the Micra rather more character than the Note’s austere trim.
There’s little wrong with the Note’s driving position, however, even though the steering wheel adjusts for rake alone, and the driver’s seat gets a folding centre-side armrest, ratchet height adjustment and a rotary knob to adjust the backrest – welcome touches that give a clue to the fact that the Note was designed and engineered in the UK rather than Japan.
