The Note e POWER is the smartest answer to Nairobi traffic that has ever worn a Nissan badge. Under the bonnet, a petrol engine works quietly as a generator, while an electric motor does all the driving. The result is that you get the instant, silky pickup of an electric car with no charging cables, no charging stations, and no range anxiety. Pull away from a junction and it surges forward in near silence, leaving the cars around you wondering where all that smoothness came from. Stop and go jams that drain your patience and your fuel budget become the place where this car shines, because it sips where others gulp.

Then there is the shape. This is the new generation Note, and it looks nothing like the hatchbacks you remember. A sharp chrome edged V motion grille sits under the fresh Nissan emblem, slim headlights sweep back into the bodywork, and the metallic grey finish keeps it looking modern and grown up. Walk around to the back and you meet the showpiece: a full width light bar with NISSAN lettering glowing across the tailgate, the kind of detail you would normally find on cars costing far more. Parking sensors at both ends and neat silver alloys complete a design that gets noticed in a parking lot full of lookalikes.

Step inside and it feels like the future arrived early. The twin screen dashboard puts your infotainment and your digital driver display side by side, the gear selector is a sleek electronic toggle that feels like operating a gadget, and the cabin is clean, airy and thoughtfully laid out. The real party piece is the 360 degree camera system, which paints a bird’s eye view of the car on screen and feeds into the digital rearview mirror, so you see the road behind you in clear, wide view with no blocked sightlines from passengers or luggage. Tight Nairobi parking spaces will never intimidate you again. The ETC card reader is already in place, the seats are comfortable and hard wearing, and it is right hand drive and ready to go.

This is the car for the person who wants to look sharp, spend less at the pump, and drive something that feels a generation ahead of everything else on the road. Whether you are a young professional, a growing family, or someone tired of fuel receipts, the Note e POWER makes a very good argument for itself. Fair warning, once you drive an electric motor car that never needs plugging in, it is very hard to go back.