Nissan Qashqai 2.0 SVE
Maxabout Review
Smart & Compact
Tuesday, February 17, 2009Meet the Qashqai (pronounced Cash-Kai), Nissan's 'Urban Nomad'. Taking its name from an Iranian desert-dwelling nomadic tribe, the Qashqai is Nissan's replacement for the defunct Almera hatch, Almera Tino compact MPV and Primera family car all around the world. The Qashqai is described by Nissan as a crossover - in other words it's a cross between a normal hatchback and an off roader. This may sound like an odd notion but the result is a real success and the modern, chunky styling looks great.
At first glance the Qashqai looks sleek, stylish and more imposing than a small family car has any right to. This Nissan appears to be a small off-roader - except that most Qashqais will be front-wheel drive rather than four, and when you park it beside a Land Rover Freelander or a Honda CR-V it turns out to be smaller and lower. And the reason is that this car is a so-called crossover, a blend of family hatchback, MPV and yes, four-wheel drive, Nissan’s aim being to provide some of the best features of each. In fact, it's only 100mm longer than an average family hatchback and has a similar sized wheelbase.
As with most Nissans, the interior consists of hardwearing plastics and faux chrome. The centre console is perfectly symmetrical with the sound system taking main stage. As with looks from the outside, the dominant feature from within is the great glass roof, which provides another source of light. Nissan has tried to make the Qashqai into a fun car, but the dual-coloured seats are an acquired taste and the inside would look better if Nissan had stuck with one shade.
Four engines feature in the Qashqai range - two petrols and two diesels. The petrol engines are a 1.6-litre with 115bhp and a 2.0-litre with 140bhp. The 1.6 model has to be worked hard in order to get the best from it but is peppy enough. The more powerful engine delivers smooth and refined acceleration and much of the pulling power is available across the rev range making it feel keen when accelerating. The diesels make more sense though - especially the 1.5dCi which offers surprising pace considering its relatively small capacity.
The 2.0 dCi is the best engine overall and although it's a little noisy at times it feels eager and swift, pulling from low revs for effortless overtaking. All engines come with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, apart from the 1.6 which has a five ratio gearbox. Nissan also offers automatic transmissions on both the larger engines - a continuously variable transmission (CVT) on the petrol engine and a conventional six-speed automatic gearbox on the diesel. Four-wheel drive can also be selected with the 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines.
But for India it is expected that Nissan will offer only one diesel engine with both manual and automatic gearbox - may be the 2000cc Turbo diesel. The Qashqai is surprisingly good to drive, despite the tall bodywork the centre of gravity is quite low so it corners well and is reasonably communicative. The ride is surprisingly firm, so it doesn’t soak up potholes as well as some of its softer suspension rivals. But with this means less body roll through the corners making the Qashqai sportier and more fun to drive than expected.
The Nissan Qashqai was awarded the best ever EuroNCAP crash test rating in May 2007 when it received almost maximum points and five stars for adult occupancy. Safety features include front, side and curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability programme and hydraulic fade compensation (HFC) which provides sharp braking. The four-wheel drive system on the 2-litre models ensures more grip in slippery conditions.