Lots to like about the Qashqai
By: Henrie Geyser
I drove the Nissan Qashqai for a couple of hours in the George-Oudtshoorn area when it was introduced to the motoring media a few months ago and liked it very much. Recently I spent 10 days in the top-of-the-range 2.0-litre model and the second time round it scored even better.
But let's just get one thing out of the way first - it's damn silly name. Nobody can pronounce it, let alone spell it, so why on earth come up with Qashqai? Pronounced “Cash-kai”, it apparently is the name of a nomadic Iranian tribe.
Presumably the clever marketing whizzes with the spiky hair, fancy shoes and big name shirts wanted to get across the message that you can go anywhere in the world in a Cash-kai.
This sounds OK in theory, but in real life the Qashqai is really nothing more than a pavement-parking urbanite or a weekend gravel-roader, certainly not designed or likely ever to be used as an off-roader.
And herein lies another poser - what exactly is it? It's not a station wagon. It's not a people carrier. It's not a hatch. It's not an MPV. And it's not quite an SUV…
But whatever it is or pretends to be, it's an absolute pleasure to drive. I have not driven a vehicle as smooth, as quiet and as superbly insulated against engine, wind and road noises since I stepped out of a Lexus.
(Interestingly enough, in a Dawe sound meter test conducted by CAR magazine, the Qashqai scored better than the new C-Class Mercedes-Benz.)
With its engine at idle one really has to glance at the rev counter to make sure the engine is ticking over.
And if you add to that a soapy-smooth gearbox, better than average suspension and extremely comfortable seating, you have a vehicle that moves with the silkiness of a cheetah stalking its prey.
Not that it's as fast as a cheetah, with a top speed of only about 190km/h. But the engine is more than gutsy enough for what the Qashqai is designed for.
And it might not be as sure-footed as a killer cat on the run, but it behaves impressively well through the corners, even if whipped harder than one would normally do in a vehicle such as this.
It certainly has hardly any of the top-heavy feel of so many similar type vehicles.
The car is nicely furnished and well finished, something which Nissan has established an enviable reputation for. One only has to mention fellow Nissan family members such as the Murano, the cute little Tiida (which is already taking over strongly from the all-time rental car company stalwart, the phased-out Almera) and one of my favorite sports cars, the Nissan 350Z.
The cabin is functional without being stark and well-equipped with dual-zone climate control, radio/CD player (which is also linked to audio controls on the steering wheel), onboard computer, press-button window and mirror adjustments, a chilled glove-box, lots of little shelves and storage spaces and an integrated Bluetooth system for hands-free cellphone use.
Passenger leg and body space is really generous (even for three backbenchers) and the boot is quite amazing in size, particularly bearing in mind that it also holds a full-sized spare wheel. The rear seats can be folded and split 60:40
These kinda cross-over vehicles tend to have rather ho-hum looks, boxy, often leaning towards boring. While the Qashqai is not likely to cause any whiplash for its looks, its styling is quite appealing with a sloping roof, narrow side windows and almost oval back window, bee-sting aerial and sporty alloys giving it a nice touch of youthful exuberance.
Like all cars, the Nissan also has a few niggles: a handbrake lever which is on the wrong side of the centre console, an LCD information display which is too small, a light- reflecting front windscreen and the six-speed transmission.
Because the engine is not really all that zippy and the gearing is on the long side, progress is perhaps not quite as rapid as it could have been with a better geared five-speed box. But on the plus side, the present set-up does make for fairly frugal fuel consumption.
The Qashqai is the sort of vehicle that is likely to appeal across quite a wide spectrum - from sporty singles to young families, professionals and retirees who enjoy heading down to the farm or holiday home.
Because it doesn't slot naturally into any pigeon-hole the 2.0-litre Acenta's competition is difficult to pin down, although one could probably consider the likes of the Dodge Caliber, Ford Focus and the Hyundai Tucson.
At R220,000, which includes a three-year/90,000km service plan and a three-year/100,000km warranty, the Nissan Qashqai is one of the better options in this price range. Its super-smoothness and the fact that it really is quite different from the rest of the rat-pack of SUV's and hatches certainly add to its appeal.
Also read Nissan Qashqai is a quality cross-overMore by Henrie Geyser
More...ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Henrie Geyser has worked as a journalist in Cape Town, London and Windhoek for the Argus Company (now Independent Newspapers) and spent 12 years at The Cape Argus in Cape Town. He then owned and ran a public relations consultancy for 13 years. He joined the online publishing industry through iafrica.com, where he worked for five years as News Editor and Editor. He now freelances for a variety of print and online publications, on the subjects of cars, food and travel, among others; and is a member of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists.
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