Nissan Qashqai Road Test and Review in Scotland

I’d been having a few problems with the devil of domestic appliances recently – pressure jet washer packing up; dishwasher refusing to wash; computer freezing and printer (who’s existence is only to print) coming up with the message “can’t print”.

So I was glad to get behind the wheel of my latest test car.

Nissan, after all, has a great reputation for reliability and the latest second generation Qashqai should surely have put to bed any niggles from the first version which was launched in 2007.

Everything seemed to work well and I liked the larger interior layout which was businesslike and well designed. The huge panoramic glass roof filled the car with light and although it didn’t open it came with a shade which closed with one touch on the overhead button but with a penalty in reduced headroom.

This was the upgraded Acenta Premium spec car so it came with a very smart full colour 7 inch touchscreen satnav and all the toys including USB port, six speakers, auxiliary socket for MP3, Bluetooth, remote audio control and DAB radio which was all great until the jinx sprung into action once again.

I was following a really interesting discussion on the digital radio until everything went silent and the screen froze. I couldn’t adjust the volume or change stations – it just refused to do anything. I even resorted to the tried and tested method of stopping, switching off the ignition, locking the doors and starting again but there was no response. I completed the rest of the journey in silence – I certainly didn’t feel like bursting into song.

At home I checked the handbook for some explanation but that was no help. A couple of hours later I went out in the car again and everything burst back into life as though the previous episode simply hadn’t happened.

I still don’t know the cause – I didn’t do anything and I can only assume it was some sort of electronic blip, which I find is becoming increasingly common as car systems become more complex. In itself it wasn’t important – just annoying and it does mean your confidence in the car as a whole takes something of a dent.

That apart, I really enjoyed my time with it. It looks much more significant than the hugely successful original version which was still selling well after seven years on the market.

Once buyers got used to the name – which broke all the rules of spelling of a “u” after a “q” – and worked out how to pronounce it (cash-cai) it was a winner and led the way in the crossover market. It appealed to families with its 4×4 looks – and full four wheel drive option on the 1.6 diesel – but affordable running costs similar to a hatchback.

The latest version builds on those strengths and offers a remarkably gutsy 1.2 litre turbocharged petrol engine and from Nissan’s sister company Renault come two diesels, a 1.6 litre and a 1.5 litre which was in the test car.

Performance feels much more refined, capable and remarkably quiet on the open road.

The biggest improvement though is in its looks moving on from the fairly plain styling of the previous model to something which looks far more significant and upmarket. The front end is much sharper with angular headlamps and a distinctive grille.

The Qashqai has taken a new place in the Nissan range offering only five seats after dropping the +2option of the previous model. If you want a seven seater you have to spend a bit more for the new X-Trail. But the Qashqai has stacks of room front and back and useful luggage space at the rear, including a false floor to hide valuables from prying eyes.

There’s no doubt this latest model is a big improvement on what has been Nissan’s most successful vehicle to date…….and it’s built in Britain at the company’s plant at Sunderland in north-east England.

I just hope that my radio problem is not a sign that it’s become too clever for its own good. 

VITAL STATS:

 CAR: Nissan Qashqai Acenta Premium Manual 2wd

 PRICE: £22,690 (£23,415 as tested)

 ENGINE: 1461cc, 4 cyl, 110 bhp, 260 Nm

 PERFORMANCE: Top speed 113 mph.  0-62 mph 11.9 secs

 ECONOMY: 74 mpg combined

 CO2 EMISSIONS: 99 g/km