Every neighbourhood has one. The car that looks calm and unassuming in the parking lot, while its owner quietly spends half as much on fuel as everyone else and enjoys every minute of it. This Note is that car, and it has been waiting for the right driver.

Start with the paint. A bright silver finish catches the Nairobi sun and keeps its cool, while the signature blue accent running through the V motion grille tells people what is happening under the bonnet before you say a word. That blue glow is the badge of the e POWER system: a 1200cc petrol engine that works purely as a generator, feeding an electric motor that does all the driving. You get the instant, silent surge of an electric car, with no plugs, no charging stations and no range worries. Press the pedal and the car glides away with a smoothness that makes the traffic around you feel clumsy. Crawl through a Thika Road jam and the fuel gauge barely seems to notice. Sleek alloy rims, door visors and rear parking sensors finish the look, and the compact body slips into tight spaces like it was designed for them.

Now open the door, because the Medalist trim is where this Note dresses up. The seats are finished in half leather with a rich two tone combination of black and warm tan, trimmed with fine contrast stitching and a textured centre panel that looks and feels far above its class. The tan colour carries through to the door cards, giving the cabin a warm, tailored mood you do not expect in a hatchback this size. The rear bench has the same treatment, with decent legroom and a clean, spacious feel that makes passengers comfortable. The blue ringed instrument cluster shows your power flow, your charge level and your eco status at a glance, and it turns every drive into a small game of how little fuel you can use. Spoiler: you will win.

Then comes the number that makes people lean in. This car has covered only about 15,000 kms. For a 2019 model, that is barely run in. The cabin, the seats and the carpets all tell the same story, and you will feel it the moment you sit down. Low mileage on a hybrid means a battery and motor with a long, dependable life ahead of them, and strong value when it is time to sell.

This is the perfect car for the first time buyer who wants smart, the executive tired of petrol receipts, the family needing a dependable second car, and anyone running ride hailing or deliveries who knows that fuel savings are the real profit. It is easy to park, easy to drive and very easy to live with.

Low mileage Medalists in this condition get snapped up quickly, usually by the person who said they would come back tomorrow. Come and see it, run your hand across that stitching, and feel the silent power for yourself. Fair warning, after one test drive your current car will start to sound very noisy.