Nissan Qashqai+2 1.5dCi n-tec Road Test Report

Performance

With a frugal 1,465cc 4cyl diesel engine producing a modest 106 horsepower this 1.5dCi doesn’t deliver neck-snapping thrust away from the lights. The quoted 0-62 time is 12.2secs (with 108mph top speed) but even in normal day-to-day driving this 6-speed manual model needs plenty of revs for a smartish getaway, especially on any kind of uphill incline. At higher speeds the 240Nm (177lb/ft) of torque will allow this cruise control-equipped Qashqai to comfortably maintain a respectable cruising speed on the motorway without running out of puff, even when laden with passengers and luggage piled to the roof.

Ride & Handling

The n-tec Qashqai comes as standard with tasty 18-inch alloy wheels. Whether these enhance the car’s ride quality on poor surfaces I’m not able to judge (I’ve not tested not tested a 16 or 17-inch-equipped Qashqais back-to-back), but this car acquitted itself very well on a residential road near my house that has a surface bumpier than anything this side of the Zagros mountains of South Western Iran. The suspension damping is well controlled while electric power steering and decent brakes also contribute toward a relaxing, though perhaps not a thrilling driving experience.

Build Quality & Reliability

I drove this car exactly 843 miles in one week and nothing squeaked, rattled, came loose or broke, and nothing looked like it was about to either. Also relevant are these recent results: ‘Qashqai rated 11th overall in the JD Power/What Car? 2009 UK Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study of 101 models, its first appearance in the survey. Scoring 81.4%, the Sunderland-built Qashqai rated 3rd in the SUV category, higher than all of its traditional C-segment competitors including the Honda Civic, VW Golf, Audi A3, Ford Focus, Mazda 3, Vauxhall Astra and Renault Megane.’ Pretty good I’d say.

Safety & Security

There are no Euro NCAP crash test results to report but active safety equipment includes ABS with brake assist (BAS) and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD). Passive safety equipment starts with six airbags including dual-stage driver and front passenger airbags, thorax side airbags mounted in the front seats as well as full-length curtain airbags on both sides. The front seats also have active headrests and pre-tensioner seatbelts while the full-length panoramic roof is made from laminated glass so it won’t shatter if the car ends up on its roof. There’s also remote central locking, speed-sensitive autolock, an immobiliser and an ultrasonic alarm system.

Space & Practicality

The Qashqai +2’s small third row seats are for little people only, and if they’re in use then there’s precious little luggage space behind them. If they’re folded flat there’s a useful 450 litre loadspace, extending to a quoted 500 litres with the comfy 40/20/40 split/fold middle seats folded flat, although on my trip abroad we had much more than that safely stowed on board. In addition to a trip computer the n-tec model has Nissan Connect System which includes a colour reversing camera, 7-digit postcode European satnav, easy-to-set-up bluetooth phone connectivity and audio streaming, traffic info, FM/AM radio and your own music from either a CD, a USB device (eg. iPod or memory stick) or via a mini-jack socket.

Ownership & Value

The Qashqai 1.5dCi’s official mpg figures are 45.5 (urban), 56.5 (extra urban) and 52.3 (combined). At the end of my 843 mile test the trip computer read 45.5mpg, but as almost all of those miles were either ‘at speed’ on motorways abroad or in London, and the car was laden, so I reckon that’s also pretty good. CO2 at 149g/km means annual road tax of £120, while insurance is a not too frightening group 6. Despite looking a bit like a biggish 4x4, this model is front wheel drive, can seat seven and takes up no more road space than a Ford Focus. £20,200 OTR is not insignificant, but Qashqais are currently selling like hot cakes and I’d happily own this n-tec.