Nissan Note I (E11) photos

Unveiled in late 2004 and produced through 2013, the first-generation Nissan Note (chassis code E11) entered the lineup as an all-new mini-MPV designed to bridge the gap between traditional subcompact hatchbacks and larger family wagons or compact people movers. Built on a stretched version of the Renault-Nissan Alliance B platform shared with the March K12 and Tiida, the E11 was offered exclusively as a tall five-door hatchback distinguished by an arched roofline and signature boomerang-style rear lamps wrapping onto the roof pillars. Its long wheelbase enabled generous rear legroom, a sliding rear bench on many trims, and a clever dual-floor luggage compartment system known as Flexi-Board in Europe. In the Japanese domestic market, power initially came from the newly developed 1.5-liter HR15DE inline-four petrol engine mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) on front-wheel-drive models or a four-speed automatic on variants equipped with the electric-assisted e-4WD system, later joined by a 1.6-liter HR16DE engine with a five-speed manual transmission. European models, manufactured in Sunderland in the United Kingdom starting in 2006, were offered with 1.4-liter and 1.6-liter petrol engines alongside 1.5-liter dCi turbodiesel units paired with five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearboxes. Facelifts in 2008 and 2010 updated the front fascia, headlamps, grille, dashboard instrumentation, and infotainment options, cementing the E11 Note as a practical, reliable best-seller in both Japan and Europe.