Hatchback meets SUV in a Great British success story
Nissan conceived the British-built Qashqai as a replacement for both the Almera and the Primera. So its an alternative to a hatchback and a family saloon, and it looks like an SUV. Seldom has the word crossover been more apt.
Rather than stacking up the options list, Nissans way is to try and get its standard kit right for you in the first place. Thus youll find a lot of headline options that arent at all in the base-spec Visia. Useful additions like cruise, climate and parking sensors come in with the Acenta, while n-tec+ adds sat-nav, a glass roof and a panoramic reversing camera. Tekna, meanwhile, has xenons, leather, heated seats and an upgraded Bose stereo. This is the model we drove, and it does feel convincingly well equipped.
Our test car had the new 1.6 dCi diesel that was launched early in 2012. This costs a grand and a half more than the 1.5 diesel, but its worth every penny. It puts out way more power and torque, for starters. It also uses a lot less fuel, takes two seconds off the cars 0-62 time and scores a big hit with the tax man through its lower CO2 emissions. Its so good, in fact, that unless you want an auto gearbox, theres no point in paying more for the range-topping 2.0 dCi. Neither petrol engine is disastrous on fuel. Even then, though, the 1.6 dCi is so close to the best of them for performance, and on a different planet for economy. Unless youre allergic to diesel, its an open and shut case.
The Qashqais cabin has a fresh, inviting feel to it, with a pleasingly clear layout and a really nice soft-touch dash. It doesnt put on any airs and graces, though, even in Tekna form. The leather in our test car had a nice feel to it all the same, and certainly added a touch of class. More important than that is the cabins usability, and with nice, big stowage areas its very practical in the ways that matter. For heavier-duty carrying, the rear seats fold down to leave a cargo bay whose floor isnt as flat as youd like. The seats are short on legroom, too, but with plenty of headroom theyll take a child seat with ease.
As weve said, the 1.6 dCi looks good on paper. It would be hard to exaggerate just how good it is in reality, too. For starters, the six-speed manual box is beautifully smooth. And so is the engine, with heaps of torque delivering excellent in-gear pull. It revs very willingly, too, giving you instant access to all its power. That doesnt make it a street sleeper, but its certainly very willing and easy to drive as briskly as you could reasonably want. The Qashqais chassis is agile, with supple suspension soaking up the worst the road surface can throw at you. Theres a bit of body roll in corners, but it steers convincingly and theres plenty of grip available, especially in 4x4 mode. Only a handful models have this, however. Its a pricey option where it does exist, too but you can feel the difference it makes, and with your family on board thats a compelling reason to dig deep.
Heres yet another reason to go for the 1.6 dCi: 72.4 mpg. It gets that on a run in 4x2 form, to be fair. But even the 4x4 model beats 55 mpg in everyday driving, and with emissions to match it promises to be a very affordable way to own an SUV. Our test vehicle would cost a pretty penny to buy, at £26,045. But there are much cheaper options in the range, and other costs like insurance tend to be pretty gentle too. The Qashqai is a very popular car, and that means plenty of demand when you come to sell it. In fact, it was named Used Car of the Year in 2012, so its a pretty stout investment. Youll be offered some hefty discounts if you shop around, too. It all adds up to a family motor thats as sensible as it is funky.
