The Nissan Sakura, while just the right size for Singapore, will likely not be available here

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YOKOHAMA, JAPAN

Nissan has unveiled its new mini electric vehicle, the Nissan Sakura. With Japanese propensity towards everything KAWAIIIII cute, the Sakura is a Kei car through and through. 

The Nissan Sakura joins the ranks of the Leaf and Ariya as a mass-market EV but unfortunately, the Sakura will only be available in Japan. 

Nissan Executive Vice President Asako Hoshino believes “it will be a gamechanger for the Japanese market and will make EVs much more accessible to customers in Japan.”

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Just how mini is it? The Sakura has a length of 3,395mm, width of 1,475mm, and height of 1,655m. That’s shorter in length than a Suzuki Jimny that measures 3,480mm, and one and a half Sakuras you could fit in a Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost. Singapore’s tiniest SUV, the Suzuki Ignis, in comparison measures 3,700mm long.

For reference, the Citroen Ami – a two passenger electric quadricycle with a 5.5kWh battery and a top speed of 45km/h –  is 2,410mm long, 1,390mm wide, and 1,520mm tall.

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The wheels on the Sakura draw inspiration from the Japanese mizuhiki decorative knots commonly found on gift envelopes and packages. 

With a car so tiny it still found the space to have a nine inch driver’s display and seven inch infotainment screen. 

Seats are also in a sofa design with no bulky centre console separating you from the driver, letting you get up close and personal with the driver reminisce on the days of yesteryear when most cars still had sofa seats.

Luggage capacity is a humble 107-litres which, well, is good enough given the Sakura’s aim of being a city car.

With a modest 20kWh battery to suit its size, the Sakura is capable of 195Nm of torque with a top speed of 130km/h. The Sakura also offers a range of 180km based on the WLTC Japan cycle. 

But why is it perfect for Singapore? Given that the average Singaporean driver clocks approximately 50km a day, the Sakura would be a perfect fit for Singaporean roads. Also, as Japan has so aptly shown over the years, the actual size of a vehicle is a factor to consider when managing congestion – which is the entire raison d’etre of the COE system.

Charging time on the Sakura ranges from eight hours with slow charging to 40 minutes with DC fast-charging. 

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The Nissan Sakura is scheduled to go on sale in Japan in the summer with a starting price of 1.78 million Yen (approximately S$20,000), inclusive of their consumption tax and clean vehicle energy subsidy.

While there’s no chance the Sakura will be seen on Singapore roads, those of us “small cars for a small country” believers are holding out hope yet. 

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