What_Car_UK_-_August_2020

86 August 2020 whatcar.com

THEORIGINALNISSANQASHQAIwasso

successfulthatitachievedsemi-iconicstatus

andspawnedawholegenerationofimmensely

popularfamilySUVs,makingthissecond-

generationcar’staskevenharder.But

whenwefirstdrovetheMk2version,

itwasclearthatNissanhadimproved

itbeyondmeasure;itwasmore

spacious,moreefficient,nicerto

beinandmuchbettertodrive.It

tookouroverallCaroftheYear

awardin 2014 andhasconsistently

beenoneofthebest-sellingcars

intheUKeversince.

Duringthattime,however,a

numberofnewrivalshavecome

alongtochallengeanddethrone

theoldking.Tostaycompetitive,

theQashqaihashadtwomajor

updates–onein 2017 thatushered

intweakedlooks,anupgraded

interiorandretunedsuspension,

andanotherlastyearthatfeatured

improvedenginesandarevised

infotainmentsystem.

Initially,youhadachoiceof

113bhp1.2-litreand158bhp1.6-litre

petrolengines,or109bhp1.5-litre

and128bhp1.6-litrediesels,witha

standardsix-speedmanualgearbox

ortheoptionofaCVTautomatic.Therewas

alsotheoptionoffour-wheeldrive.The 2019

updatebroughtanew1.3-litrepetrolengine

intwostatesoftune(138bhpand158bhp)to

replaceboththe1.2and1.6,plustheoption

ofaseven-speeddual-clutchautomatic

gearboxtoreplacetheCVT.

Ofthetrims,entry-levelVisiamodelscome

withairconditioningandcruisecontrol.

Acentatrim(laterknownasAcentaPremium)

adds17inalloywheels,dual-zoneclimate

controlandautomaticlightsandwipers.Above

that, N-Connecta adds privacy glass, bigger

wheels and keyless entry. Tekna models ride

on bigger (19in) alloy wheels and come with

part-leather seats and a panoramic glass roof.

Meanwhile, Tekna+ from 2017 onwards gets

you more luxurious nappa leather seats.

WHAT’S IT LIKE?

On the road, the original 1.2 petrol engine was

a bit short on puff, while the 1.6 was livelier

but a little thirsty. The 1.5-litre diesel is gutsy

and delivers plenty of poke from low revs. The

1.6-litre diesel could be a little gravelly but

provided a noticeable increase in available

shove. On later cars, the lower-powered 1.3

petrol engine strikes a happy compromise

between smoothness and economy.

The Qashqai also strikes a good balance

between ride comfort and handling. The

steering is responsive, the body doesn’t lean

too much in corners and there’s plenty of grip,

yet it also rides bumps and potholes with real

composure, particularly if you avoid the 19in

wheels. It also does a really good job of shutting

out wind and road noise.

Inside, there’s a neat-looking dashboard and

a classy feel to the interior plastics. The 2017

facelift added upgraded materials on the doors

and dash. Despite the infotainment update in

2017, the system still isn’t great; the low-res

touchscreen refl ects badly in sunlight and

some of its control icons are too small to hit

with confi dence while driving.

Peugeot 3008

Stylish inside, with a

mostly comfy ride

and a big boot.

SkodaKaroq

Great to drive and

superbly practical –

a top family SUV.

RIVALS

Teknamodelsaddeye-

catching19inalloywheels

anda panoramicglassroof

‘The Qashqai strikes a

good balance between

ride and handling’

Mark Pearson

[email protected]

Nissan Qashqai

BUYING GUIDE

The popular Qashqai has long been a family SUV to be reckoned with,

and a used one makes a practical, good-value choice

In production 2014-present Price from £6000 Our favourite 1.3 DiG-T 140 Acenta Premium

USED CARS