Nissan’s new Qashqai to invade the city!

By Farzana Chaumoo

Nissan’s Qashqai has been under the knife for some fairly major enhancements. And it’s unlike one of those stories whereby you’d be questioning whether Kylie Jenner is pregnant or not – rather, it’s one of those, “OMG, did you see?” stories…

The pressure to look ever-younger and more stylish is strongly felt through many industries. The automobile industry is constantly challenged by this factor, which is where facelifts and updates come into play. This is because it’s not that simple to launch a completely new vehicle every season.

Let’s admit that, to a certain degree, cars are chosen for their talents, but even more so for their dashing good looks. This means that, even if the options are all within a certain budget and with comparable abilities, the best looking one will be chosen. It’s the kid’s sports team selection routine all over again. Cars feel it too.

However, I don’t think the new Qashqai will be standing on the sidelines before selection for long. Its new design, both inside- and out, and the addition of some new technology, make it a winner in its own right.

History of the Qashqai

Nissan is said to have invented the urban crossover segment, where 21 rival models have appeared since the Qashqai first appeared. The Nissan Qashqai is the best-selling urban crossover in Europe and has won Car of the Year titles in 19 countries since the first generation debuted in 2007, and to date, 3.3-million units have been sold globally. The Qashqai was brought to SA in 2008, and proved to be a great success on local shores as well.

What’s new?

Using customer feedback and industry insights, Nissan has made several styling improvements and brought back a panoramic glass roof.  The Nissan Intelligent Mobility technology package has been added, along with upgraded interior quality, improved performance, and a more fashionable exterior design.

Exterior upgrades

The striking new design is immediately noticeable, because extensive changes have been made in the lines and sculpting of the car. The Nissan “V-motion” grille has been incorporated into a new front bumper, along with a redesigned bonnet, while a new rear bumper is also present. The halogen headlights now feature Nissan’s signature “boomerang” Daytime Running Lamp, made up of nine LEDs.

In terms of wheels, new 17- and 19-inch alloy wheels are available. The width (1,806mm) and height (1,595mm) of the Qashqai remain unchanged while the overall length has increased by 17mm to 4,394mm.

Interior enhancements

The interior has a premium feel to it, with the door handles and air vents being made from higher-quality materials than before. The steering wheel has a sporty new D-shape and includes four-way controllers, putting system accessibility in easier range for the driver. Much thought has gone into the new shape of the steering wheel, making entering and exiting the vehicle easier.

A useful feature that has been added is remote opening and closing of windows, controlled from the key fob. From the inside, one-touch power window switches are fitted across the range.

Front seats have been redesigned with tapered “shoulders” for additional support, also to the benefit of rear passengers’ visibility. These factors further enhance the Qashqai’s well-known comfort.

The roof antenna has now taken the shape of a shark fin, which has improved reception for the NissanConnect touch-screen satellite navigation system. The sat-nav system also makes use of a new interface, to simplify the input procedures.

The infotainment system is user friendly and the 1.5 dCI Tekna model is fitted with an aurally pleasing seven-speaker BOSE Premium sound system, thanks to tweeters, woofers and a digital amplifier which is said to provide a “concert-like listening experience”. Lastly, the integrated microphone for hands-free telephone usage has been repositioned to the overhead lamp unit.

The boot has a 430-litre capacity which increases to 680 litres when the 60:40 split rear seats are folded flat. There are also handy storage pockets all around the cabin.

Nissan Intelligent Mobility (NIM) and Safety

Nissan’s innovative technologies have been included in the new Qashqai. The functions which have been added to the crossover include:

Intelligent Blind Spot Warning – this alerts the driver about a vehicle in the adjacent lane during lane changes.

Intelligent Emergency Braking – helps avoid collisions by detecting the distance of the preceding vehicle and activating the brakes, if necessary.

Intelligent Forward Collision Warning – sensors analyze the relative velocity of the preceding vehicle as well as the vehicle in front of the preceding one. If the system detects a potential hazard, it alerts the driver to slow down via visual and audible alerts, and will also tighten the seat belt.

Around View Monitor – gives a 360-degree view of your surroundings from the five cameras positioned around the vehicle.

Intelligent Cross Traffic Alert – when reversing from a parking bay, the vehicle detects and will warn the driver if there is an approaching car hiding out of sight behind the adjacent vehicle.

Moving Object Detection – linked to the Around View Monitor, moving objects around the vehicle are detected by the cameras attached around the vehicle in real time, from a system analysis of the video signals in an image-processing unit.

Continuous testing is carried out on the Qashqai. To put it into perspective, 75,000 continuous quality assurance tests have been done since the Qashqai’s inception. The new Nissan Qashqai also maintains its 5-star Euro NCAP Safety Rating.

Driving Experience

On launch we drove two models: the 1.5 dCI Tekna and the 1.2 T Acenta. It was a pleasure driving both these 5-door hatch models. The 1.5 dCI Tekna is fitted with a 1461cc inline-4 cylinder diesel engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Power produced is 81 kW and there is 260 Nm of torque on tap. This variant has a claimed fuel consumption of 4.2l/100 km, but on our drive, we noted a 5.3l/100 km average figure, which is still commendably frugal. The Qashqai’s smooth, comfortable ride was enjoyed, and the diesel engine provided a decent amount of power for when you feel like playing in city traffic as well.

The 1.2 T Acenta is fitted with a 1197cc 4-cylinder petrol engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. It produces 85 kW and 190 Nm of torque, and has a claimed average fuel consumption of 6.2l/100 km.

Nissan has improved the Qashqai’s ride quality, handling and steering, to offer calmer body motions on uneven roads. Its dampers have been retuned along with increased stiffness for the anti-roll bars to maintain handling performance. The NIM Active Ride Control System also reduces body movement on bumpy surfaces.

The improvement in overall refinement is apparent. This comes in the form of more sound insulation material, additional sealing and a thicker rear door glass. Engine noise has also been reduced from powertrain calibration improvements.

The mid-sized urban crossover blends the attributes of a family hatchback vehicle with some light off-road capability, a combination that has worked out quite successfully for Nissan. This round of improvements and technological additions should be enough to keep the Qashqai in its leading position.