The Qashqai is a powerful would-be SUV, but if you don't want to go offroad why pretend? Michael McAleer, Motoring Editor, reports
Our road test in the strangely-named Nissan Qashqai got off to an inauspicious start. Less than seven miles into our test we spluttered to a halt in the middle of a junction in rush hour.
Everything was going well until the engine management light came on. Strange, but nothing too serious we thought: after all, how many taxis do you see driving around the city with these lights on permanently. A technical glitch is how one might describe it.
On we drove, but somehow the engine didn't seem to be responding to requests from the accelerator pedal. Then the eerie silence from up front, followed by a chorus of car horns.
Needless to say, the strangely named Nissan was rechristened on several occasions as we pushed it to the side of the road.
Calls were made to the RAC - now operated by Hibernian Ireland rescue - who promised to send someone to our rescue within 90 minutes.
Just over two hours later, a friendly service attendant pulls up and takes our keys.
It transpired, according to a Nissan spokeswoman, that prior to my collecting the car for test, some caring soul thought it would be nice to top up the fuel tank of the Qashqai with some petrol to help me on my way. Unfortunately, this is the diesel version.
The upside of being stranded at the side of the road was that I had plenty of time to inspect the interior cabin of the Qashqai, have a good look at the exterior design and test my size nine boots on its tyre sidewalls.
It also gave me time to muse on the thinking behind this family hatchback/SUV crossover.
There's a serious campaign under way to scapegoat SUVs for all the world's climate ills.
While we have never been a fan of the SUV in suburban areas - annoyed by all that wasted off-road technology and the fact it seems to give their drivers a false sense of impregnability - they do serve a purpose outside the cityscapes and the fully fledged SUVs that can conquer mountains are good buys for those who work the land and like the mix of comfort with ability.
The rather off-hand comments of many in the anti-SUV camp has led us to come to the defence of SUVs of late.
The fact that many SUVs in Ireland are sold in commercial format - for example 90 per cent of all Mitsubishi Pajeros are sold as commercial vehicles - means that there is a very large number used outside the south Dublin suburbs for the purposes for which they were designed.
At the heart of the anti-SUV debate there's a good point, but it's shrouded in myth and misinformation. The Qashqai highlights the problem with tarring all SUVs with the same brush.
While it's easy to see that the Hummers of this world have no place on urban streets, the anti-SUV lobby will need to hone their arguments a little better if they want to take on the growing number of small SUV-styled models coming our way in the next year or so.
Take the Qashqai: for a start, the 1.5-litre diesel engine puts out less CO2 emissions than a 1.2-litre Ford Ka or a 1.4-litre Hyundai Accent.
Its official fuel economy - at 5.4 L/100km (52.3mpg) is on a par with a Ford Focus C-Max 1.8 diesel.
So the Qashqai does not deserve the term gas-guzzler. In terms of size, it's no behemoth either. It stands quite tall at 1.6 metres, but that's still lower than rivals like the Honda CR-V or the Hyundai Santa Fe. In fact it's not even as tall as an Opel Zafira. It's also not much longer than the average Ford Focus and its footprint on the road - the total area of roadspace it takes up - is no more than the average family car.
Nissan has instead used some smart styling tricks to create a car that seems substantial without actually taking up much physical space. In this case, for "crossover" read "pretend SUV".
Europe is set to receive a host of similar "crossovers" like the Qashqai in the coming years. Already Ford is readying itself for the launch of a Focus-based SUV crossover and VW is set to launch its own version of the Golf, to be known as the Tiguan, later this year.
The Qashqai is part of a three-car strategy by Nissan aimed at replacing the Almera range and giving greater options to buyers in this class.
Previously the choice extended to hatchback or saloon. Now Nissan is offering the Note for those looking for a more flexible small hatchback that's equipped to cope with child buggies and the like.
Then there is this, the SUV-styled version that offers hatchback flexibility with SUV looks. Finally, there will be the Tiida, reviewed two weeks ago in Motors and offering traditional family hatchback and saloon looks.
Inside, the Qashqai is well presented, with good quality plastics, a nice functional dash and the regulation tall seating position that offers impressive visibility.
It also has a very impressive list of standard features, including six airbags, air-conditioning, alloys and a Bluetooth hands-free phone connection.
The luggage space is also on a par with many hatchback rivals at 410 litres.
However, Nissan once again has missed out on providing real family features. For example, the back seats fold down to increase the load space but for a few euro more they could have engineered the rear seats to slide forward and the seat cushions to flip up, thereby giving a completely flat loading area in the rear.
These little extras feature on several rivals, and their omission here shows a lack of extra initiative by the interior designers.
Similarly, ESP stability control is €800 extra and that's a feature we would classify as a vital standard fit on all new cars these days, particularly at this size and stature.
Various safety organisations have stated that these systems save lives and to leave it as an option is putting price competitiveness ahead of safety.
But what's it like to drive? Well, Nissan were quick to provide a replacement Qashqai: another 1.5-litre diesel.
While it meant we didn't get the usual week to test the vehicle, we did get a couple of days to pit it against both country roads and motorway runs.
The first thing to report is that this 1.5-litre diesel putting out 106bhp is a real gem. While its never going to win any straight line sprint with a 0-100km/h time of 12.2 seconds, it suffers no real lag in pulling the Qashqai along. In fact this rather sedate acceleration belies what it actually feels like on the road.
Admittedly it's quite noisy at motorway speeds, and there's the typical diesel grunt when it starts, but performance-wise it is a lot more capable than we would have expected from such a small engine for such a relatively big vehicle.
Given its stature, there's also quite a lot of wind noise on the open road and that can dent your fondness for a vehicle. Height also comes into play in the more challenging country roads, though the Nissan doesn't roll or lean anything like its fully-fledged SUV competitors.
THE RIDE IS SMOOTH and the suspension doesn't get knocked out of sync by our poorly surfaced back roads. It's still not as sharp as a lower-set hatchback but in terms of family appeal, most of these owners don't really push their cars to the limits of handling in any case.
A fully-fledged four-wheel-drive version is available with the 2-litre diesel and petrol engines as an option, but we doubt anyone seriously contemplating off-road driving would be opting for a Qashqai. For them, the upcoming new X-Trail would be far better suited.
All in all, the Qashqai copes admirably with everyday Irish driving conditions. Starting at €26,695, it's a really competitive package that will offer a real temptation to those bored with the average family hatchback.
In this diesel guise, it's also remarkably frugal in terms of consumption and emissions, which means that none of the owners should feel guilty about its SUV looks. It's a real breath of fresh air for Nissan in particular, which previously only offered buyers in this price bracket the anonymous Almera.
Despite the time spent at the side of the road (which can't be blamed on the Qashqai) we really liked the Qashqai and the fact that its 1.5-litre diesel engine - the only one that's really worth opting for - manages to be both frugal and powerful is a very admirable trait.
This car left us with something of a dilemma. We like the way it accepts that most owners won't drive it over anything more rugged than a pothole so it's not over-engineered with off-road technology.
Yet this very fact does beg the question: what's the point of an SUV that can't really cope off-road? Why is there a desire to pretend to have an SUV when all you have is a dressed up family hatchback?
The answer to the latter seems to be that SUVs have become associated with upper-middle class wealth and now the hatchback classes want in on the action.
So if it's image you're after, then the Qashqai may be the answer. If it's off-road ability, then look somewhere else.
Perhaps it epitomises our modern society today, where people are far more interested in fashion and image than practicality and reality.
That's the way of modern Ireland, from the houses we live in, the clothes we wear and the cars we drive.
For the victims of fashion, however, the good news is that this car doesn't cost the earth to mix it with the SUV set - either in terms of your pocket or pollution.
Overall, the Qashqai is a very good buy.ENGINE:
1461cc four-cylinder in-line diesel engine putting out 106bhp @ 4,000rpm and 240Nm or torque @ 2,000rpm. Six speed manual transmission.
Factfile
Nissan Qashqai SVE 1.5 diesel CC: 1461 BHP: 106 0-100km/h: 12.2 Top speed: 174km/h Consumption: 5.4 /100km (52.3 mpg) Price: €29,195
SPECIFICATION:
Impressive standard features on SE version include: ABS with EBD and brake assist; six airbags; radio/CD; air con; keyless entry; rain sensing wipers; auto headlamps.
SVE versions add: 17" alloy wheels; panoramic glass roof; six CD changer; cruise control; rear parking sensor; dual-zone air-con.
Options include: ESP (€800); leather trim (€2,000); Sat-Nav/rear camera (€3,000).
L/100km (MPG):
Urban: 6.2 (45.6)
Extra urban: 5.0 (56.5)
Combined: 5.4 (52.3)
CO2 EMISSIONS: 145 g/km
ANNUAL ROAD TAX: €313
PRICE: €29,195 for SVE version (€26,695 for SE)