• Prestigious used car award won by Nissan Note

• Note described as “a used car gem” by What Car? judging team

• British built Nissan beat contenders from Ford, Vauxhall and Fiat to the title

• Note also named as runner-up in overall What Car? Used Car of the Year 2009

One of the UK’s best value new superminis is now an award winning used car too. Nissan’s super-versatile Note has swept aside the competition to scoop the title of What Car? Used Car of the Year 2009 – Best Supermini.

And it is with gushing praise that the expert used car judges at What Car? handed over the award to the British built Nissan. Readers of the What Car? Used Car of the Year 2009 supplement are told: “You’ll be surprised just how much room there is inside. In fact, it’s so successful in its use of space that you can almost think of it as a small MPV, rather than a supermini.”

Having bettered every rival in its class, the Note very nearly won the overall What Car? Used Car of the Year 2009 title, but instead finished runner-up to a more costly family saloon.

On sale in the UK since March 2006, the Note offers great value for money for any used car buyer searching for space, style and quality in an amazingly compact package.

A range of frugal petrol and diesel engines are available, meaning there is a used Note to suit every driver.

Nissan’s UK MD, Paul Willcox comments: “This is a tremendous accolade for the Note, which is proving not only to be a superb new car purchase but also a great option for used car buyers. We’ve worked tirelessly to push the boundaries of quality and durability expected in the supermini class, and this is helping the Note to remain dependable and desirable for buyers of both new and second-hand examples.”

• Further information on the What Car? Used Car of the Year 2009 awards can be found at www.whatcar.com

Nissan in the UK

• Nissan is the biggest new car producer in Britain

• Over 26 per cent (1 in 4 cars) produced in 2008 came out of Sunderland Plant

• Nissan Sunderland Plant has a workforce of 3,900

• Micra, Note, Qashqai and Qashqai+2 are all produced at Sunderland Plant

• 1 in every 6 cars built in the UK last year was a Qashqai

• UK is Nissan’s biggest market in Europe

• Over 80 per cent of production is exported to 45 markets worldwide

• NMUK has been named as the biggest UK car plant for the past 11 years, and the biggest exporter for the last 9 years

• Sunderland Plant has just received a Queen’s Award for Export , the fourth received since the plant opened in 1986

• The plant built its 5 millionth car in June 2008

• Nissan’s European design centre is located in Paddington, London and employs around 50 people

• Nissan’s European Technical Centre is based in Cranfield, Bedfordshire and employs around 750 people