Do you know the kei car segment? Perhaps not, because in Europe they are unknown to the general public and that makes them even more attractive. But don't be misled because if we had another open-mindedness it would be the ideal solution to the mobility problem of large cities. Yes, because they are vehicles that, at 3,4 meters long, 1,48 meters wide and up to 2 meters high, are ideal for wandering through very narrow alleys...
Well one of the latest novelties that reaches this category is the Nissan Sakura. Do you remember that a couple of years ago the Japanese firm announced the IMk Concept? It was a kei car with a really attractive design and, most importantly, powered by an electric drivetrain. And seeing the reception it had, it seems that they did not think much about giving the project the green light. The Sakura debuts true to its philosophy but wouldn't it be an option in Europe?
The aesthetics of the Nissan Sakura, in miniature, is reminiscent of that of the Qashqai or Ariya...
As you can see in the pictures, the aesthetics of the Nissan Sakura is very attractive. It is true that by limiting itself to such a small bodywork, it cannot afford great aesthetic licenses. Even so, it sports a front that, due to many of its elements, reminiscent of his older brothers Ariya and Qashqai. Mainly because of the shape of its optics with Full LED technology, because of the "V-Motion" grill or because of the prominent arrangement of the Nissan logo.
The side view is the one that denotes your commercial positioning. With Meters long 3,3951,475 meters wide and 1,655 meters high, it looks more like a shoebox on wheels. To this must be added a distance between axis that goes to the 2,495 meters in length. However, there are a couple of details that we cannot ignore. First of all, the almost absence of overhangs and this is because Nissan has created it on an exclusive platform.
Second, because offers generously sized rear doors. The reason behind this design is that it has to offer very generous access to the second row. In addition, the sheet-glass relationship is balanced as it has generously sized windows. Ultimately we have the rear, which except for a few small details is an exact copy of what the 2019 IMk Concept wore. To highlight: its optics, the format of the gate or the diffuser...
The Sakura is electric, it has 47 kW of power and 180 kilometers of autonomy WLTC...
As we mentioned before the Nissan Sakura is developed on an unprecedented platform. Thanks to it, it has an electric drivetrain with 47 kW of power and 195 Nm of maximum torque. To feed, he resorts to a lithium battery with 20 kWh energy capacity which gives it a range of 180 kilometers. But there is a small but: the estimated range has been obtained using the WLTC homologation standard from Japan.
Therefore, if we measure it with the most demanding WLTP it will be even smaller. Finally, it's time to talk about your cabin. It may be strange that we include it with the mechanics, but its platform gives it a great space. According to Nissan, it has four generous seats and 107 liters of trunk. In terms of design, it plays the card of simplicity and technology, with a digital instrument panel linked to the central touch screen.
The rest of the elements are at the driver's hand, but you have to put some other but. Especially with regard to climate for controls are fully touch. The quality, at least visual, of the set goes to great heights with textile upholstered moldings spread over the dashboard or the doors. Finally, security and technology also shine, because debuts innovative elements such as the ProPILOT Park system.
Could Sakura be sold in Europe…?
Taking into account the characteristics of the Nissan Sakura the following question arises Would such a car make sense in Europe? A priori it might seem like no, but seeing its design, quality, technological level and autonomy it could well be a yes. The problem is that customers are not ready for this revolution and they are still very attached to SUVs but we all know that this is not the right way to go.
To give you an idea of their commercial position in their native country. It will be available in Japan starting this summer at three trim levels: S, X and G and its price will start, at the exchange rate, in about 14 thousand dollars. It is true that this figure already includes the incentives from the United States, but look at how well it could be sold in Europe. Maybe later... Don't you think...?
Source - Nissan
