Nissan Note Aura

Launched last year, the third-generation Nissan Note is the first Nissan car sold in its new era judging by the implementation of the new Nissan logo first applied in the Ariya. It continues Nissan's success story of its e-Power system in its new and functional form and in the midst of the new normal, this new economy car is ready to show the world how it's made.

2022 Nissan Note Aura

2022 Nissan Note Aura

For those who want the new Note that works just like the new Note but with a lavish affair, Nissan welcomes you to the dark side of the new Note, it's called the Note Aura, the luxury version of the third-generation hatchback.

Priced at 2,610,300 Japanese Yen (less than $27,000) plus additional costs, which is more expensive than the normal Note it was based on, the Aura is known as the dark horse of the new Note because of its lavish features not seen in the regular model as well as its unique styling fit to become the modern Japanese woman's new accessory.

Beginning on the exterior, the Aura differentiates itself from the normal Note with its Ariya-styled design and wider body size that still works on Japanese roads just like the normal Note. When parked alongside the normal Note, you can really tell the difference between them but either way, they're still the same species.

2022 Nissan Note Aura interior

2022 Nissan Note Aura interior

The interior feels like the new Nissan Note but because this is the dark side of the new Note, the Aura features premium amenities such as wood-grain trims on the dashboard, special leather seats on the Leather Edition, and Bose Personal Plus sound system that comes with speakers on the front headrests, among many others. That's "house fancy" for compact hatchback standards.

Despite the fancy treatments, the Aura still fits just like the normal Note for up to five people and it's got ample boot space fit enough for all your daily needs, be it for weekend trips with family and friends, grocery shopping, door-to-door deliveries, or TNVS.

2022 Nissan Note Aura

The Note Aura, just like the normal Note, is powered by Nissan's hallmark e-Power hybrid powertrain where the 100kW electric motor does the talking while the 1.2L petrol engine supplements the battery and the motor. Combined with the CVT gearbox, fuel economy is rated at 27.2km/L based on WLTC Mode standards, which is less than the normal Note gives.

If you're feeling under the weather, the Aura comes with the available all-wheel-drive system with the additional electric motor on the rear for a slightly added power despite the fuel economy cut to a mere 22.7km/L, which is modest for an AWD hatchback ready to take on today's weather forecast.

In terms of dynamics, the Aura still behaves like the normal Note despite its wide form, although it feels a bit old-fashioned compared to the competition, bearing suspension setups more sophisticated than this. Underneath, it comes with Rack & Pinion steering, front independent suspension with struts, rear torsion beam, front ventilated disc brakes, and rear leading trailing type brakes. Not as sophisticated as the mainstream Euro hatches but it's manageable.

Like the normal Note, the Aura comes with ProPilot driver-assist tech with Navi-link which allows this car to take advantage of the car's sat-nav to check for corners, speed limits, and more while taking advantage of its wide variety of semi-autonomous driving tech.

The Aura really is the dark side of the new Note because of its lavishly-equipped features fit for a woman's next accessory while traveling through one of Japan's fanciest cities like a semi-one-percenter. Although it's not really made for the 1%, the premium touches really made the Aura a class apart despite the fact that it runs on the same bits and bobs as the normal Note. Which one will you go for?

Photo: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.