It's the end of the road for the Almera, news that will no doubt disappoint many loyal owners of the well-respected Nissan over the years. It was never the most exciting of cars, but it did tick all the boxes when it came to family motoring, and it was a decent car to drive as well.
Nissan has opted to replace its rival to the likes of the Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla with not one but three different models. It claims that hatchback buyers are looking for the same range of options available to wealthier buyers.
So out goes Almera and in comes the Qashqai (pronounced cash-ki) cross-over SUV; the Tiida hatchback and saloon; and this, the Note. While it is going to be several months before all three are on our roads, the Note was the first of the bunch, launched last March.
It's based on the principle of a small people carrier, though in essence it's actually only a five-seater, which invariably makes it nothing more than a high-roofed hatchback.
While spaciousness was clearly its goal, it is not in the same league as the likes of the Renault Scenic and its ilk. And with standard models getting bigger with every generation, it's actually entering the market below the current Almera segment.
The good news is that the Note actually looks like a normal hatchback, yet more stylish than other more boxy competitors like the Opel Meriva. While we admire the wacky designs coming on stream these days, some can be too loud and avant-garde for general motoring tastes and the Note manages to take a more conventional line, while retaining some style. That's all the more noteworthy when you consider it comes from the company that's given us the Micra, a car that wouldn't look out of place in Toytown.
In particular, the Note takes its front nose styling from the large Murano SUV, a head turner since it came out.
And, as with the Murano, the interior is also pleasantly conservative. The driving position is quite vertical - as with many people carriers - but comfortable and the controls are nicely to hand. In particular there are nice short stalks for lights and wipers. The central cluster of dials is buried in a small cylindrical unit that's not as clear or visible as we would have liked.
Of course, rear seating is what all these cars are about and the Note doesn't differ greatly than what we've come to expect from family friendly hatchbacks. The rear seats split 60:40 and can slide forward to make more room in the boot, but that's about it. While the side windows are low cut to add to visibility - and thereby limit car sickness amongst children - they lack the cinematic tiered effect that's offered on some competitors, most notably the upcoming Skoda Roomster. It should also be said that while it's set up as a five-seater, it's more likely to work as a four-seater with room for a child in the middle of the back seat.
In terms of bootspace, again the Note doesn't set any new space standards, keeping with the hatchback tradition of being more vertical than tall. We loaded it with two rolling suitcases during the test and there was little room for much else. Those with the large prams to lug around may find they need to fold at least one of the back seats down, thereby turning the car into a three-seater.
That said, on the SVE model we tested there was a nice underfloor storage system in place, deep enough to load a good deal of shopping and a couple of laptop bags away from prying eyes. However, if you need the deeper space on a regular basis, then you'd better plan ahead, for the cover panels of this underfloor need to be stored somewhere before you head out.
In terms of its competitors, while it's beaten in terms of basic bootspace by most, including the Honda Jazz and Opel Meriva, it does offer more than these two when the rear seats are folded down. Yet for everyday use it comes up some 70 litres short.
The spaciousness of the cabin is to be commended, particularly given the actual stature of the car, but you can't help feel that the engineers could have added a few extra features - such as three splits in the seats, making them removable and even individual sliding mechanisms. They could even have made it possible to fold them flat into the floor, as with the Opel Meriva. These features would not have cost that much extra and would have really added to the car's flexibility. End result: engineers could have done better in what is supposedly the main selling point of the car.
The good news, however, is that while it may not beat its rivals in terms of functionality or space, it does keep the Almera tradition of offering a rather entertaining drive for the money. We're not saying we'd swap a Porsche 911 for one, but the Note does manage to overcome that interminable problem in family motoring: how to make something that's supposed to be as practical as a minibus, also enjoyable to drive. It's rare to find one of these high-roofed cars that's actually fun behind the wheel, so when you do, it's worthy of praise. For €18,000 Nissan has done a very reputable job of it.
The ride can be quite firm, but body control both at motorway speeds and on more winding national roads is impressive. What's more, it's nippy around town. The steering is well-weighted and the 1.4-litre engine we tested never felt sluggish, even with the car loaded with four adults.
The only downside to its driving ability is the constant whine of engine noise that penetrates the cabin, but it's a feature of most of these cars, so Nissan does not deserve to be singled out here.
Another area where the Note is worthy of mention is the level of specification. In terms of safety, four airbags are standard across the range.
Overall, the Note may not be as spacious as its competitors, but it's well-priced and enjoyable to drive. If Nissan can replicate the latter two traits in the rest of the trio set to replace the Almera then its future remains bright. The competition, however, are not sitting back.
The Note's greatest threat comes from the rather quirky looking Skoda Roomster, due for arrival in the next few weeks. Where the Note seems like a roomy rival for the Micra, the Roomster feels more like a family saloon and matches this with some very impressive space features.
For now the Note has the lead, but the Roomster may just pip it to the finishing post.