The rumors turned out true, and right on schedule. The blacked-out Nissan Note Aura NISMO that surfaced back in July wasn't the only surprise — on August 24, Nissan launched the updated Note, Aura and Aura NISMO in Japan all at once, alongside two brand-new black special editions: Black Edition and Black Limited. The base Note X got pricier too, climbing from ¥2,328,700 to ¥2,399,100. That's ¥70,400, or roughly 3 percent — a small jump on paper, but it lands somewhere north of $15,700 at current rates, and it's the kind of number that adds up across a whole lineup.
Back in July, this was still a rumor — Black Limited was floating around as an expected August update, nothing official. Now Nissan has laid everything out. And the real headline isn't the color. On most Note and Aura trims, the leather steering wheel is gone, replaced by TailorFit, a synthetic material Nissan itself compares to nappa leather in feel. Front-wheel-drive Aura and Aura NISMO models now get heated steering wheels and front seats as standard, while the NISMO switched to Michelin Pilot Sport 5 tires.
Going black is cheapest on the regular Note. Black Edition costs ¥2,499,200, about $16,850 — a premium of just ¥100,100, roughly $675, over the standard X. For that, buyers get a black grille, mirrors, wheel caps and badge, plus standard 360-degree cameras and a digital rearview mirror.
The Aura tells a different story. The G Black Edition runs ¥3,271,400, about $22,065, which is ¥422,400 — around $2,850 — more than the standard G. That's a real jump, but the equipment list backs it up: NissanConnect, a BOSE sound system, ETC2.0 and ProPILOT, all bundled in with no extra charge. Pricing from Japanese outlets lines up exactly with Nissan's official sheet, so there's no ambiguity here.
And then there's the main event — Aura NISMO Black Limited. The front-wheel-drive version costs ¥3,644,300, about $24,580. The all-wheel-drive NISMO tuned e-POWER 4WD Black Limited climbs even higher, to ¥4,011,700, roughly $27,050. The black treatment adds up to ¥480,700 — about $3,240 — over the standard front-wheel-drive NISMO. It's not just about price, either: NISMO's signature red accents, a hallmark for years, are swapped for black here. Add exclusive decals, dedicated badges, NissanConnect, BOSE and ProPILOT, and it's a very different-looking car.
Don't expect a revolution under the hood, though — because there isn't one. The e-POWER system carries over unchanged. And that's the real catch: this production Black Limited is nowhere near as radical as the Aura NISMO RS Concept, with its beefed-up powertrain, shown off in Tokyo back in January. The promise was more power. What arrived was more style. This update is about price, equipment and looks — exactly what was still a mystery back in July.
