Nissan Qashqai review
by David Finlay (19 March 2010)
The Qashqai SUV crossover has been such a success that you might think Nissan would have been tempted to leave it alone. But it has been around for three years now (at least in five-seat form - the seven-seat Qashqai+2 was introduced later) and that's usually as long as a mainstream model is allowed to remain in its original form before the tinkering starts.
Manufacturers often restrict themselves at this stage to applying a mild facelift, and it's true that the Qashqai looks rather different in revised form. The basic shape is the same - as is the window line, so all previous comments about terrible rear visibility still apply - but the bonnet, grille, front bumper, wings and front and rear lights have all been modified to give what Nissan describes as "an air of premium sophistication, presence and quality". I'll leave you to judge the success of that for yourself.
But there is much more to it than this. In particular, Nissan has spent a lot of time working on the suspension, and the result is that the Qashqai now behaves the way it should have done in the first place. The earlier version could be alarming in some situations, but this one isn't.
At the media launch I made a point of driving a two-litre turbo diesel front-wheel drive model - the one which in the past felt most likely to run away from its driver if too much power was applied at the wrong time - and on fast and suitably deserted back roads the limiting factor was the high centre of gravity rather than, as before, an inability to deal with everything the engine could provide.
I realise that most owners are not going to drive particularly sportily, but the point is that the handling limits have been raised very considerably and the Qashqai now feels much safer than it once did.
For this reason the 1.5-litre dCi turbo diesel engine is no longer my favourite in the range. It used to be, because it didn't have enough power to get the car into any trouble, but that's no longer an issue now that the suspension has been sorted. I don't mind that the 1.5 dCi is slow, but it sounds rattlier than the 2.0 dCi does (even though, like new Qashqais, attention has been paid to reducing the amount of noise in the cabin) and that's not good for "premium sophistication, presence and quality".
On the other hand, a 1.5 dCi is much cheaper to run than any other. That applies particularly to the new Pure Drive model, which not only uses this engine but also has higher gearing, low rolling resistance tyres and a few aerodynamic tweaks. The resulting 57.6mpg combined fuel consumption and 129g/km official CO2 emissions are the best in the range.
As well as all this, Nissan has revised the equipment levels to some extent: ESP, for example, is now standard on all versions. The entry car is still the Visia, which comes with 16" alloy wheels, air-conditioning, electric power steering, Bluetooth connectivity, a trip computer, a 60/40 split folding rear seat, a height-adjustable driver's seat and a radio with a single CD player and auxiliary socket for MP3 players.
Acenta models have 17" wheels rather than the 16s of the Visia, along with driver's seat lumbar support, dual-zone climate control air-conditioning, automatic headlights and wipers, cruise control, a 6-CD autochanger, rear parking sensors and a central rear armrest with two cupholders.
Next up is the new n-tec, which gets 18" alloys, rear privacy glass, a panoramic sunroof, satin silver roof rails and the Nissan Connect audio/navigation/phone system.
At the top of the range comes the Tekna, which also has the Nissan Connect system plus full leather upholstery, xenon headlights, a Bose sound system and an Intelligent Key which allows the driver to lock or unlock the doors and start the engine without the key ever being removed from a pocket or handbag.
In addition to the diesel engines already mentioned, the Qashqai and Qashqai+2 also come with a choice of 1.6- and two-litre petrol engines. The smaller engines are associated only with manual gearboxes, but the 2.0s are available with six-speed manual or CVT automatic transmissions, and if you go for CVT there is also the option of four-wheel drive.
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