Qashqai now on my radar

Though the Qashqai has always been a good looking car without any reputation for shortcomings, it was also not really a vehicle much on my radar. After just a couple of kilometres behind the wheel it had my attention. 

Firstly, I was deeply impressed by the ride, as the Qashqai rolled along like a luxury sedan. Gone toheldo were the notions I had of the Qashqai being a touch too small for my purposes, as I piled all sorts of nonsensense for a weekend away into the large 410 litre boot, and that was before folding down the 60:40 split rear seats. 

Though front-wheel-drive variants still account for the bulk of sales I was in the more expensive Qashqai 2.0 Acenta dCi 4X4. My neighbour’s insistence on irrigating the road to my farmhouse meant I could enjoy slithering along the couple of hundred metres without fearing the walk of shame to ask for a tow.

While on the subject of towing, I was also dragging my not too aerodynamic dog trailer behind the Qashqai.

Also, the Qashqai could be left in sixth gear under almost all cruising conditions, including overtaking thanks to its 110kW and 320Nm. The 65-litre tank therefore makes for a pretty handy range even when the engine is working hard.

The 2.0 Acenta dCi 4X4’s legal maximum for towing is a braked trailer weighing 1 400kg, which is more than adequate for most leisure applications. It also stops as well as it goes, being fully quipped with ABS, EBD, brake assist system and full vehicle vehicle dynamic control. 

I was thoroughly impressed with the Qashqai in our brief time together and felt R394 100 is not too bad given the opposition. 

A colleague of mine is very happy with hers, except that she was charged R600 for replacement wiper blades. Only Nissan parts are available, so there is certainly room for a price cut here.