The other day, my husband went on a business trip to Tokyo in the Note e-power NISMO S and took various routes on the way back. He shared his impressions in this article. Please have a look if you’re interested.
Lately, we often use the Note e-power NISMO S for just about everything. From work, school runs, and shopping to enjoying winding roads like the Royu Driveway, it’s an all-around versatile car that fits any situation.
This time, my husband had to go to Tokyo for work, and due to the COVID-19 situation, he decided to travel by car instead of the Shinkansen. Naturally, he chose the Note e-power NISMO S as his companion.
It was his first time driving over 1000 km in the Note e-power NISMO S, and I thought there would be things you can only understand on a long trip, so here’s a report on that.
It’s been about half a year since the Note e-power NISMO S came to our home. It has only about 4000 km on the clock, and this was only the second real touring trip.
We filled the 41-liter gas tank to full and got on the Meishin Expressway. In the city, we drove in ECO mode with one-pedal driving, but on the highway, we switched to Normal mode.
Through various trials, on highways, driving in Normal mode without sacrificing speed tends to yield better fuel economy than ECO mode with regenerative energy recovery (though it depends on the speed range). Plus, the driving feel is more enjoyable.
Above all, the acceleration response of the e-power system is intense. Especially the motor in this NISMO S delivers a massive 320 Nm of torque from zero rpm, making it incredibly quick. The torque kicks in instantly, which is truly exhilarating.
When you press the accelerator, it surges forward with smooth, seamless acceleration, and during the toll gate dash, it even feels faster than a Porsche up to a certain speed.
Once at cruising speed, we turn on the Intelligent Cruise Control. This adaptive cruise control follows the car ahead and smoothly adjusts speed. The Note’s system is surprisingly good, with very smooth speed adjustments.
This is largely thanks to the motor drive, which can instantly control power—a unique advantage of electric motors.
In short, the Note e-power NISMO S’s behavior on the highway can be summed up as ‘solid and confident’. First, there’s no feeling of power shortage within reasonable speeds, and straight-line stability is very high.
Even at speeds typical of the overtaking lane on the Shin-Tomei Expressway, it runs straight and steady without the usual anxiety or correction steering common in Japanese cars.
Its highway stability is quite high, but on the other hand, wind noise, road noise, and suspension movement make the driver feel the speed more strongly. Compared to European compact cars, this is probably a weaker point.
When following the car ahead at a relaxed pace, the onboard computer’s fuel consumption gauge shows 18–19 km/L, occasionally hitting the 20 km/L range. For those used to eco cars, this might seem poor, but considering the powerful motor, I’m personally very satisfied with this fuel economy.
I think this car offers a great balance between fuel efficiency and driving enjoyment.
Despite being a compact car, the interior is spacious, especially around the rear seats, so even long drives don’t feel stifling. Also, having mostly experienced imported cars’ air conditioning, I’m amazed by the effective and finely controlled air conditioning of this Japanese car, which keeps the cabin very comfortable in any situation. (Well, I guess all Japanese cars are like this.)
At one point, the highway was closed due to an accident, so we had to take local roads, which were very congested. We switched to ECO mode and one-pedal driving.
One-pedal driving is controversial, but I really like it. I wish all cars had it. It’s so comfortable in stop-and-go traffic, allowing you to control the car just by modulating the accelerator pedal.
If you haven’t tried it yet, please give it a go. But you need to drop any mental blocks against Nissan or e-power. After about 30 minutes without prejudice, you’ll get used to it. Even my mother, who’s over 70, adapted quickly and now won’t drive anything else.
We stayed overnight in Tokyo, and the next day had back-to-back meetings, so we moved east and west across the city in the NISMO Note. As someone from Kansai, I’m not familiar with Tokyo’s roads, and even the place names on signs don’t tell me which way to go, so I relied entirely on the navigation system.
I usually drive in Osaka city for commuting, but mostly on highways, so this was my first time driving so extensively in an urban area. Tokyo has a lot of stop-and-go traffic, and since I’m unfamiliar with the roads and unsure about right and left turn lanes, my lane changes were a bit clumsy.
In this situation, the agility of e-power and the ease of one-pedal driving really shine. Whether it’s merging or accelerating to get ahead, the 100% electric motor drive of e-power is truly reliable.
Pressing the accelerator firmly results in instant acceleration and smooth forward movement. The NISMO-tuned chassis handles lane changes effortlessly, quietly, and smoothly. Thanks to strong regenerative braking, the car stops precisely at stop lines without needing to use the brake pedal.
This whole flow is nothing short of comfortable.
That day, we made some wrong exits and took wrong turns, covering quite a distance in Tokyo, and I was reminded just how easy e-power makes urban driving.
| Next page → Driving in Okutama and then to Yatsugatake… |