2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 15:44
Bold, the Nissan decision to send a crossover in the hot compact class alone in the market. The Qashqai stands out - visually and by its name. Nomad people or all-wheel drive, what can the bright spot in the Nissan range do in everyday life?
By Stefan Grundhoff and Stefan Zaumseil
For years, no one turned to the Nissan compacts called Almera. It wasn't bad, especially after the powerful Renault diesels arrived. But the clientele was outdated and the compact Almera was no more a guarantee for a cool image than it was for impressive sales figures. It is understandable that Nissan wanted to draw a line. After dealers were terminated and the product range is currently being turned inside out, everything is currently revolving around the Qashqai.
A bit of everything
SUV, family sedan, station wagon, off-road vehicle and van - the Qashqai is a bit of everything - like a mixed slice of cold cuts or a selection of chocolates. Especially the entry-level diesel with a somewhat sparse-looking 78 kW / 106 PS is developing into a crowd-pleaser across Europe.
In Germany, too, the majority of the more than 13,000 Qashqai orders run on the 1.5 dCi version. Is it enough for a beginner with a production site in Sunderland, England, or should you treat yourself to a little more in terms of family peace and practicality?
Nice design
It looks good and stands out - new for a Nissan in this class. In addition to a VW Golf Plus or an Opel Meriva, it cuts a fine figure, even if the German competition shouldn't like to hear that. The Nissan designers came up with something and implemented the whole thing very neatly. It might have been a little more distinctive at the front and back, but you don't want to scare off all customers.
4.31 meters long is still quite compact and the Qashqai is consistently handy even in narrow city traffic. The high seating position, the handy steering wheel, large windows and the easy steering; Even city rabbits quickly lose any shyness in the four-wheeled nomad tribe. The engine stays pleasantly in the background, at least when it is warm. The cold start reveals it to be a common rail diesel.
Considerable consumption
77 kW / 105 PS are not the way to get the family from A to B quickly and easily. But that's enough. With the best will in the world, it shouldn't be less and on a trip into the mountains the driver quickly bites into the steering wheel due to missed opportunities to overtake. The maximum torque of 240 Nm at 2,000 rpm makes you wrong in the lower speed range, the 1.5 ton Qashqai would have more under the hood. In the upper speed range, however, it becomes too thin and you should distribute the forces well on a longer motorway climb.
However, the easy-to-shift and well-graded six-speed gearbox is absolutely pleasing. In contrast to the top models with 141 and 150 PS, the small 1.5 dCi alone is available as a front-wheel drive vehicle that is a maximum of 174 km / h. Off the beaten track you shouldn't even try it and in winter you shouldn't drive past the sign with the chain obligation. The consumption is very respectable. Although the 5.4 liters of diesel could not be achieved in the test drives, the Nissan can move well with 6.2 to 6.5 liters.
Comfortable interior
Nissan has also made a big splash in the design of the interior. If there had been one or two misconduct here in the past, the pseudo-SUV is absolutely suitable for the masses and is also well made. Easily legible instruments, neat switches and the robust, handsome center console with sound system, automatic air conditioning and navigation give a consistently good picture. The fact that the digital displays between the rev counter and the speedometer should be a bit more generous and the multifunction buttons on the steering wheel could do with proper lighting hardly spoil the good overall impression.
This also applies to the seats. Here they try to lure younger and young at heart customers with funky textile chap. However, the chairs in the two rows should be a bit more valuable. The space is good, and the comfort on long journeys is also good. On the other hand, the high loading sill is not exactly practical. The luggage compartment volume of 410 liters is not much larger than that of most compact cars. The bench can be folded down in parts and increases the load capacity to 1513 liters.
Attractive price
In terms of price, the Qashqai is extremely attractive. The range extends from the € 19,790 entry-level model Qashqai Visia 1.6 (115 hp petrol engine with front-wheel drive) to the Tekna 2.0 dCi version (150 hp diesel with particle filter and all-wheel drive) for € 30,140. Six airbags and ESP are part of the safety equipment on all models.
The basic diesel in the equipment version Acenta costs at least 22,590 euros, whereby the basic equipment with air conditioning, electric seals, window lifters, multifunction steering wheel, CD radio and Bluetooth hands-free system is already very neat. Useful extras are the huge panorama roof (750 euros) and the DVD navigation system for 2,200 euros.
