Nissan will unveil a hybrid version of the Note in Thailand next year, taking advantage of Thailand’s Ecocar incentives.
Folks in Thailand will be getting the new e-Power version of the Note, which combines a tiny 1.2-litre petrol engine to an electric motor. Unlike regular hybrid models, the Nissan Note e-Power’s petrol engine is used to charge the batteries, instead of providing motivation to the wheels.
Apart from the Note hybrid, Nissan will also sell the regular petrol version of the hatchback, powered by an identical 1.2-litre engine. The facelifted Note will be positioned right against the Honda Jazz. Nissan Thailand will be dropping the Livina, whilst pitting the smaller March against the Toyota Yaris.
Nissan is banking on Thailand’s Ecocar Phase I regulations, which sees a 17% excise tax. With the tax incentive, Nissan is said to be able to sell the Note some THB 100k less than the Jazz, with possible prices starting from THB 550,000.
Will the Nissan Note land here? It remains unlikely, but ETCM doesn’t have a model to compete against the Honda Jazz, Ford Fiesta and Mazda 2 locally.
