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2014 NISSAN Qashqai Review

OUR TEST CAR: 2014 NISSAN Qashqai 1.6 dCi Xtronic

 
When Nissan first introduced the Qashqai back in 2006, people regarded crossovers as rather strange proposals. Nowadays, more and more buyers label a car “weird” if it’s... not a crossover.
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This is the climate in which Nissan introduces the second generation of the Qashqai. Meanwhile, everybody but Ferrari has either launched or is on track to giving us a vehicle with generous ground clearance, so saying that the competition is fierce would be an understatement. A major one.

Even while helping build the reputation of the entire CUV segment, the first Qashqai became a massive sales hit. Chances are that if you spend a bit of time browsing through your contacts, you’ll find somebody who drives one.

Another thing that happens these days is that European customers receive bespoke cars all the way from Asia. South Korean carmakers, who didn’t use to bother with this, now have R&D centers in Germany and aim to offer Old Continent drivers a proper feel.

Nissan has taken this approach further than ever before with the new Qashqai. While the design comes from London and the engineering from Cranfield (UK) and Barcelona (Spain), the car is built in Sunderland (UK). Nissan barely whispers about the input of its designers and engineers working in Atsugi, Japan.

Nissan experimented with the looks of the first Qashqai and this time the styling is more of a polishing job. The result is one of the prettiest? in its segment. Sure, it’s not a car that turns heads, but if you pay attention to it, you’ll notice the pleasant details.

You can call the Nissan Qashqai many things, but sporty isn’t one of them. The only exception here is the design, as some of the styling cues do spell “dynamic”. For one thing, we can talk about... aerodynamics. The attention to detail means this crossover comes with a drag coefficient of 0.30 and it’s all thanks to features such as the flat floor or the active grille shutter (optional on certain models). The front fascia sports another interesting detail: from Golfs to Panameras, the majority of cars sporting a radar up front feature an exposed system, but the Qashqai hides this under the apron, keeping the styling clean.

If you look at the Qashqai from its side, you’ll notice the “stairway” approach - the front apron, side skirts and rear bumper come in increasing height levels. The rear of this Nissan treats us with a practicality pill, as the tailgate now opens 150 mm (5.9 inches higher).

In case you had the impression the new Qashqai is larger, that’s because the car has actually grown considerably. It is now 49mm (1.9 inches) longer, 20mm (0.8 inches) wider and 15mm (0.6 inches) lower.

These dimensions are given by the Renault Nissan Alliance Common Module Family (CMF) platform. The architecture is defined by a group of modular sub-structures, including the engine compartment, passenger cell, as well as front and rear elements. The flexibility will see the architecture underpin no less than 14 models belonging to the two brands, even reaching the US under the Nissan Rogue.

Despite the increase in size, the new platform has put the Qashqai on a diet that sees the car dropping up to 40 kg (88 lbs).
Climbing aboard, the size boost appears even greater than what is revealed by the numbers.

For instance, the headroom has been increased by 10 mm (0.39 inches).

There’s plenty of space regardless of the chosen seat, with an airy feeling surrounding the cabin. As for the design and material quality, these are perhaps the areas where the biggest difference is made compared to the vehicle’s predecessor. Heck, the lower cabin plastics are even better than what you get on a BMW X4.

Nissan has made proper use of the space, for instance populating it with comfortable seats. When you first hear that NASA inspired the carmaker to analyze pressure and blood flow in the lower back of the passengers, it all seems a bit like a joke. Nonetheless, spend a few hours inside the seats and you’ll notice that you step out of the car just as fresh as you came in.

In fact, the rest of the cabin treats you just as well, with the ergonomics being nothing short of top class. All-round visibility is good, with the only exception targeting the areas around the A- and D-pillars, which we would have preferred in thicker form.

The serious attention to detail leads to aspects such as a central armrest with a hole for the auxiliary audio wire - carmakers usually pretend it’s fine to put you in a situation where you have to force the center box lid shut, so we love the approach here. Alas, the care stopped short of the bonnet area - the rather heavy hood doesn’t feature a strut. C’mon Nissan, these days even the Dacia Logan has that!

Nissan went a little wild when it came to the luggage compartment of the Qashqai, directly comparing the crossover to the VW Golf and the Ford Focus, whom the Japanese overshadows in terms of capacity. Moreover, the 430 liters (15.2 cubic feet) of the Qashqai, place it 20 liters above the replaced model. There are two floor panels that can move about, bringing a total of 16 available configurations. Oh dear, now you have no excuse for missing shopping with your wife.

Inside the city, the Nissan Qashqai demonstrates a pleasant simplicity. The car feels like a slightly larger hatchback on stilts. For instance, the Suzuki S-Cross has been promising to offer a balanced mixed between a compact and a raised ground clearance for two generations now, but while it brings many drawbacks in terms of road feel and refinement, none of those issues are present in the Qashqai.

The raised driving position gives you the impression you are behind the wheel of an SUV. On the other hand, Nissan is well aware of the European customer’s love of hatchbacks, as the Qashqai drives just as easy as a Golf.

When it comes to parking, the conclusion is maintained and, besides the all-round sensors, you can turn to the Around View Monitor Camera system. There’s even a special feature that raises a warning when it detects sudden movements around the car while you reverse.

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Once you step past urban borders, the Qashqai proves a trustworthy partner. One of the important pillars behind this is the engine range, which shows just what “downsizing” should mean.

At the base of the range, the naturally aspirated 1.6-liter petrol has been replaced with a 1.2-liter unit. Before you say anything, you should know the little four-cylinder is a DIG-T unit. In English, this means it packs a turbo allowing it to deliver 115 hp and a peak torque of 190 Nm (140 lb-ft). That may not sound like all that much, but, on the road, it’s enough to move the Qashqai around without making you feel frustrated.

Those seeking a bit of a punch (this is precisely what you get) can go for a 1.6-liter engine. Also a DIG-T, powerplant, this packs 150 hp, but it's not on the market yet. Nonetheless, the Qashqai’s flat driving character means you really don’t need this engine.

In fact, diesel power is much more suitable for this Nissan. Renault’s famous 1.5 dCi, now in its sixth generation, is present in a form that delivers 110 hp and 260 Nm (192 lb-ft). A crossover with emissions of 99 grams of CO2 per km is impressive, but this isn’t the pick of the range. That title goes to the newer 1.6-liter dCi, a unit producing 130 hp and 320 Nm (236 lb-ft).

With its balanced character, the 1.6 diesel makes the Qashqai a complete car. Pulling power arrives from 1,700 rpm and there’s really no point in taking the thing past 3,500 rpm - the power band isn’t all that wide. Motivated by this engine, the Nissan Qashqai shows enough pulling power up to 100 mph (160 km/h).

We spent quite some time sampling the new Xtronic transmission (an option). We have to tell you this falls into the category of decent CVTs. While it still doesn’t offer 100 percent of a torque converter’s solid feel, the Xtronic gets the job done without that annoying slippage feel many CVTs show.

When you’re in a hurry, Nissan’s CVT behaves a bit like an automatic, performing step-by-step changes. As for the times when you’re gentler with the throttle, the Xtronic brings a seamless transition.

When it comes to the braking part, the modulation of the pedal shows the nice initial bite German cars have accustomed us with. As for the deceleration itself, it is quite fitting for the car.

Up front, Nissan’s Qashqai features MacPherson struts, while the rear suspension follows a scheme we’ve been seeing on more and more compact cars - the cheaper models, in this case the FWD ones, feature a torsion bar, while the superior ones (AWDs) come with a multi-link rear setup.

It’s worth mentioning the dampers feature double pistons, handling low- and high-frequency bumps via dedicated elements. This means the Qashqai can go over large bumps without too much of a hassle - once a wheel has gone through a pothole, the suspension makes a very good compromise between letting it oscillate and rushing to keep the movement under control.

While the ride can get a bit unsettled at times, the issue is barely noticeable. This is a trade-off for the Qashqai’s roadholding - in terms of ride, the Nissan shows fair assets, following its driver’s commands without any drama.

There is a certain amount of body roll, but the car immediately settles into the bend and never oscillates too much. It all feels like driving a... robot. You ask the thing to take a left and this is precisely what happens.
Drive the Qashqai blindfolded (on a closed course, obviously) and you’ll never know you’re in a crossover.

Perhaps Nissan wasn’t all that loony when it talked about a direct comparison between the Qashqai and the Golf/Focus.

The only drawback here is, in fact, the single important gripe we have with the entire car. The Nissan Qashqai drives without any bit of emotion. Not for one second does the car feel rewarding to push into a bend.

When you’re out on the highway, or getting around via a B-road, you’ll appreciate the serenity of the drive. The cabin is impressively quiet, with road, engine and wind noise being kept at bay. The feeling extends to the entire experience, which makes this Nissan an excellent long trip tool. The efficiency of the car comes to back this up.

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With the 1.6-liter diesel in front of us, we got 7 l/100 km (33.6 mpg US) inside the city and 7.5l/100 km (31.1 mpg US) on the highway, at 130 km/h (80 mph). As for the overall efficiency, this stood at 5.5 l/100 km (42.7 mpg US).

Nissan has always been good with handling-related electronics and the Qashqai is no exception. Thanks to the intelligent systems on the car, the front-wheel drive version can handle the bends just fine, so all-wheel drive is truly optional.

If you go for the All-Mode 4x4-i four-wheel drive, you can, among others, discover the rather generous offroad abilities of the Qashqai. This crossover can take you pretty far from the road and back. The fun part is that the drive remains peaceful even on rugged terrain.

Getting to the safety department, the Nissan Qashqai receives nine out of ten from us. The crossover missed the top score due to the “marginal” whiplash protection provided by the front seats, as revealed by Euro NCAP testing. This is a pity, given that we are dealing with a five-star car, which, ironically, has rear seats that offer “good” whiplash protection.

On the road, the Qashqai’s tame character keeps you from putting yourself into dangerous situations. And even if you do take the car to the limit, its predictable handling serves you well.

Moreover, Nissan has gifted the Qashqai with quite a bit of active safety kit. For instance, the Front Collision Assistance can bring the car to a halt on its own, should the driver fail to pay attention. The list of systems includes, Traffic Sign Recognition, Blind Spot Monitoring, and High Beam Assist.

Moving to the gadgets department, we have to say we were pleased with the navigation system. It may not offer the most modern interface, but it will certainly easy to use and precise in operation. Other options that impressed were the panoramic sunroof, as well as the five-inch display integrated in the instrument cluster.

Even before reaching the halfway point of our drive, we knew the Nissan Qashqai was The One.
Yes, this is the best car in the non-premium crossover segment and no, we are not talking about the kind of “love at first sight” approach.

Instead, the crown comes mainly thanks to the best asset of this Nissan, which is its super-balanced overall approach.

With the Qashqai, Nissan brings us a crossover that basically has no drawbacks compared to hatchbacks we’re all used to. The thing is easy to drive and refined enough to support any kind of trip. Oh and you’d better mind your shoes, the car is also capable when it leaves the road.

As expected, the Qashqai adds excellent fuel efficiency to its list of assets.

As for the worst side of this Nissan, the Qashqai fails to show any sign of boldness. While its design could make you think that perhaps there’s a hint of dynamics in the way it drives, the crossover refuses to go past the “fair” level. Cars like the Mazda CX-5 have taught us that the segment can deliver a tad of driving thrills, but the Qashqai remains the better all-rounder.

When we said the crossover form of the Qashqai doesn’t bring any drawback, we skipped the financial side. This Nissan is among the expensive models of the segment, but the package is worth the money. This is where the Qashqai teaches the Toyota RAV4 a lesson.

You can have one for at least EUR 19,900 , while a fully-gifted Qashqai will set you back EUR 33,900 - the prices include 19 percent VAT.

Whether you buy this car for yourself, as a young couple or as a family, Nissan’s Qashqai will be entirely dependable.
80user rating 52 votes
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autoevolution Sep 2014
77
Value for money: 8/10
History
6
Exterior
7
Interior
8
In the city
9
Open road
6
Comfort
8
Tech facts
7
Gadgets
9
Safety
7
Conclusion
10
80user rating 52 votes
Rate this car!
 
Key Specs
USEU
Engine
1598 cm3 L4
Fuel
Diesel
Power kw
96
Power hp
129
Power rpm
4000
Torque val
236
Torque rpm
1750
Transmission
Xtronic CVT
Traction
AWD
Acceleration
10.9
Top speed
114 mph
Length
172.3 in
Width
71.1 in
Height
62.6 in
Wheelbase
104.2 in
Ground clearance
6.5 in
Cargo volume
15.2 CuFT
Weight
3219 lbs
Seating
5
Power
96 KW/129 BHP @ 4000 RPM
Torque
236 Lb-Ft @ 1750 RPM
Engine
1598 cm3 L4
Fuel
Die
Power kw
96
Power hp
130
Power rpm
4000
Torque val
320
Torque rpm
1750
Transmission
Xtronic CVT
Traction
AWD
Acceleration
11.1
Top speed
183 km/h
Length
4376 mm
Width
1806 mm
Height
1590 mm
Wheelbase
2647 mm
Ground clearance
165 mm
Cargo volume
430 L
Weight
1460 Kg
Seating
5
Power
96 KW/130 HP @ 4000 RPM
Torque
320 Nm @ 1750 RPM
fuel efficiency
mpgOfficialOurs
City45.233.6
Highway5631.3
Combined51.142.8
fuel efficiency
l/100kmOfficialOurs
City5.27
Highway4.27.5
Combined4.65.5
base price
19,900
Photo gallery (50)
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