Nissan Qashqai 1.5DCI Acenta Plus…The brand cash cow continues to deliver

Frontal styling now incorporates all the traditional Nissan styling cues

Anyone who visits the UK will positively fall over the scores of Nissan Qashqai models that swarm around supermarket car parks which rather obviously tells you that this UK-built Japanese design that owes a fair bit to its French partner, Renault, is a very popular choice with families in particular.

This fairly recent recipient of a nip and tuck makeover received a full report in these pages not so long ago, so just for a change, I’ll trim my normal verbosity and provide readers with a condensed update on what the diesel Qashqai is like to live with on home territory for a full week.

As one of the pioneers of the SUV concept, Nissan knows a thing or two about what pleases buyers in Europe in particular, so the styling is Euro-centric with neat, flowing styling and a pleasing absence of frills that can mar some cars of Oriental origin. Panel gaps are uniform but certainly not industry -leading in terms of narrowness, and the metallic grey paintwork is pleasing enough to the eye even if there’s some orange peel in evidence and a mild opaqueness to the clearcoat that takes the edge of outright gloss levels.

Truth be known, the Qashqai looks bigger than its relatively compact 4.4 metre length suggests but inside, there’s decent room for four adults or two adults and three kids (luggage space is 430/670L) within a cabin that also reflects European tastes in terms of design and trim materials. The environment is hardly plush but it’s most definitely pleasant with lots of soft-touch surfacing in evidence and a bucket-load of features including leather and cloth seats, cruise control, electric parking brake with auto hold, climate control, electric windows, keyless entry, heated front seats, six airbags, full sound system, rear park sensors and more, details of which are accessible by visiting www.nissan.co.za 

The new Nissan Qashqai

Given this Nissan’s understandable lack of sporting pretensions, it comes as something of a surprise to find the smart alloy wheels are shod with very sporting 225/45R19 rubber. The low profile suggests that a hard ride is on the cards, but this is not the case as Nissan’s engineers have tweaked the MacPherson strut/multi-link suspension to deliver a well-judged ride. That means there’s a most pleasing pliancy on offer but not at the expanse of body roll or sluggish directional changes.

Happily, road-induced disturbances are well suppressed and double door seals all round make sure that wind noises are pleasantly hushed. These unseen, but important contributors to refinement, mean little if the powertrain doesn’t play ball but rest assured that the rather diminutive 1461cc turbo diesel mill has been to finishing school.

It delivers an adequate 81kW at 4 000rpm and a meaty 260Nm from just 1 750 rpm which in combination provide respectable all-out thrust (0-100 in 11.9s/182km/h) and relaxed, effortless cruising at the 120 km/h limit. But in common with many small, boosted diesels, there is a near total dearth of pulling power below 1 500 rpm, a situation that can lead to stalled starts if enough throttle is not employed. 

Perhaps the best contribution made by the engine is its remarkable lack of thirst. Even in stop/start traffic, a figure of 6.3l/100km was the norm while a bit of open road use saw that figure drop into the fives. A generous 65-litre fuel capacity therefore ensures exceptional range and all the while, the driver will enjoy a slick, easy 6-speed gear shift, light and smooth clutch and near-perfect brakes.

So, this is a Nissan that offers a good drive with excellent economy and decent refinement levels plus a comfortable and well-appointed cabin, all at a palatable price. Little wonder then that the Qashqai has been such a popular choice, in the UK in particular, for so many years. Only the low rev lethargy and poor rear three-quarter visibility tarnish what is a very pretty picture.