This compact hatchback nameplate first appeared in 1982, when it was introduced as a small, practical city car aimed at everyday usability and broad appeal. It quickly became one of the brand’s most important global small cars, and its early success helped establish a reputation for efficient packaging, easy drivability, and understated styling. In Europe, the nameplate became especially significant after the second-generation car arrived in the early 1990s and went on to make history as the first Japanese car to win European Car of the Year. That era also marked the start of UK production, reinforcing the model’s importance in Nissan’s European strategy.
Over the following decades, the nameplate evolved through multiple generations, moving from simple supermini roots into a more refined and better-equipped compact car. It gained a number of notable variations along the way, including cabriolet and city-focused derivatives, while still retaining its core role as an accessible, well-packaged small car. The model became closely associated with Nissan’s European presence and, for many buyers, represented the company’s mainstream small-car identity.
The original production run in Europe effectively ended when the model was replaced by a new electric successor announced for the region in 2025. Nissan described that return as a new electric chapter in the nameplate’s 40-year European legacy, indicating a clear break between the earlier run and the revived version. Because the nameplate was discontinued and later brought back, its history spans multiple production periods rather than one continuous lifecycle.