Leaner, meaner but still not sexy
Nissan’s new Qashqai ticks lots of boxes – especially for families – but leaves me feeling something is missing
OVER the past three weeks, we’ve looked at some exotic cars – the Peugeot RCZ R, Audi A3 Cabriolet and Ferrari F12 Berlinetta – that do one thing very badly: storage. And, let’s face it, even the flashiest, most glamorous of us needs to carry stuff from time to time – the kids to school, shopping from the supermarket, rubbish to the dump.
In recent years, the car of choice for families seems to have been the Nissan Qashqai. Despite the excruciating name, which would stop any spelling champion in their tracks, it has been a remarkable success.
Before 2007, Nissan had nothing in its range between the tiny Micra and its 350Z sports car that could compete on any level. Nissan was utterly in the doldrums. Then it invented the Qashqai and its world changed.
It certainly wasn’t down to the Qashqai’s good looks. Far from it; the new Nissan was dumpy and aesthetically challenged. Cleverly, it looked a bit like an off-roader, but you could assuage any gas-guzzler guilt because it didn’t have four-wheel-drive (at least most versions didn’t).
Better still, it didn’t cost any more than a Focus or an Astra but combined the high driving position loved by 4×4 owners with an interior that appeared spacious. Families flocked to it and still do. Remarkably, 2013 was its biggest-selling year yet, something that never happens when a car is reaching the end of its life cycle. People get bored and move on. Except, try as they may, rival manufacturers have failed to decode the Qashqai’s DNA.
The new – that’s all new, not just a titivation of the existing model – Qashqai has just gone on sale. It’s no longer quite the bargain it once was but it is, thankfully, better looking inside and out. I went to Madrid for a drive, but first Nissan offered me a free haircut. This was a somewhat bizarre twist on the crazy world of new model introductions. Bear in mind the haircut may have literally altered my view of the Qashqai.
Firstly, some important things you need to know. There is no seven-seat Qashqai +2 any more. Wait six months and the new Nissan X-Trail will fulfil that need.
Secondly, there’s a new petrol model – 1.2 litres instead of 1.6 previously. If that sounds like a recipe for tortuously slow progress, Nissan claims its turbocharger actually puts a spring in its step. It may under ideal circumstances, but probably not once you pack the whole family in there. The best option is the 1.5 turbo diesel. Wonderfully, it has a CO2 output under the magic 100g/km mark which means an economy, they say, of more than 70mpg, zero road tax and low levels of company car tax. You’ll still pay for the congestion charge, though, as the cut-off is now down to 75g/km.
It’s nice to drive, too, quiet most of the time with adequate performance except, when you pull away from rest, it takes a moment too long to get up to speed. Despite the lower roofline, there’s still plenty of space making this car a decently roomy five-seater. There’s no spare wheel so I’d expected the boot to be gigantic, but it isn’t. There’s extra space beneath the floor, though, and a moveable panel that can be positioned to stop your shopping crashing around.
Prices start at £17,595 but you’ll pay closer to £23,000 for a diesel in decent specification. Automatics, four-wheel-drive models, and regular Qashais with the safety options piled on are well past £25,000.
Suddenly, it sounds like quite a lot of money because, despite the advances, it’s still only a Qashqai updated to 2014 standards. Nothing to get too excited about. But then, that might be the new hair talking.
Peter Burgess works for motoringresearch.com.
THE FACTS: NISSAN QASHQAI 1.5 DCI ACENTA PREMIUM
PRICE: £22,690
0-62MPH: 12.4 secs
TOP SPEED: 112mph
CO2 G/KM: 99g/km
MPG COMBINED: 74.3mpg
THE VERDICT:
DESIGN Three Stars
PERFORMANCE Three Stars
PRACTICALITY Four Stars
VALUE FOR MONEY Three Stars