Nissan first hinted that the Almera wouldn't be replaced by a single car 18 months ago. The first element came with the introduction of the Qashqai (first image) at the
Geneva Motor Show in 2004. Next came the Tone concept (second image) at the Paris exhibition last September. The final piece of the jigsaw followed soon after, when bosses unveiled a production version of the Tone at an event in Japan. Confusingly, they badged it the Note, but then said a model for European markets - which would be called the Tone - would come to the UK and be built at the company's Sunderland plant.