New Nissan Note to revolutionise small car safety

The second generation Nissan Note that is all set to be launched at the upcoming 2013 Geneva Motor Show comes armed with Nissan’s Safety Shield system that seeks to enhance the driver’s field of vision. 

In 2011 in Europe, approximately 30,000 people lost their lives on the roads of Europe and more than 1.1 million people are left injured. This has led to a serious course of worry and safer cars have become the need of the hour. 

High end luxury cars come loaded with a lot of cutting edge safety features to help drivers avoid accidents all together. But the expensive nature of this technology has so far kept these safety features away from mass market cars. 

Nissan seeks to make its contribution to making motoring safer in the continent with its new made for Europe Nissan Note that is not only safe but has been designed to be affordable as well. 

The four primary safety features of the Nissan Safety Shield consists of the Blind Spot Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Moving Object detection, and the company’s Around View Monitor.

The Blind Spot Warning system uses cameras integrated onto the outside rear view mirrors to detect vehicles in areas that are not visible on the mirror itself. Whenever the Note gets closer to vehicles or vice versa a light comes on in the glass of the Note’s wing mirror to warn the driver that an object is close by. The system also works to warn the driver while changing lanes about vehicles too close to the Note while changing lanes.

The Lane Departure Warning system uses the Note’s rear view camera even during dark conditions to monitor lane markings on the road and warns the driver when the car is drifting out of lane. 

The Moving Object Detection system is automatically turned on when the gearbox is put into reverse. The system uses the rear view camera on the Note to detect moving objects in the rear-wide view of the vehicle. If an object is detected it is displayed inside a yellow frame on the display screen and a warning chime is sounded to the driver. 

The Around View Monitor system uses the rear camera, the cameras on the outside rear view mirrors and the one on the front grille to project an overhead 360º helicopter view around the vehicle on the 5.8 inch display screen in the dashboard. Allowing the driver to make absolutely sure that there is no obstacle on the vehicle’s path in various situations such as exiting narrow alleys, parallel parking, reversing or parking in tight spaces. 

Paul Willcox, Senior Vice President for Nissan Sales and Marketing in Europe concludes: “The new Note isn’t just a direct replacement of the current Note, it’s a completely different car with a completely different place in the market. Sitting at the heart of the B segment, the new Note takes on high volume competitors with great design and premium technology in an accessible package.”

The 2013 Nissan Note competes against the likes of the Ford Fiesta and Honda Jazz in Europe in terms of price, but this time around Nissan’s Safety Shield feature will definitely give the Note an edge over its rivals. 

Also read: Nissan Safety Driving Forum launched in India