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Our Fleet Test Drive: Nissan Qashqai+2 - Final Report
Date: 30 April 2010 | Author: Tony Rock
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Six months and just over 10,000 miles have been more than enough time and distance to reveal just why the Qashqai is Nissan's most popular model, outselling the likes of Audi's A3, BMW's 3-series and Vauxhall's Zafira and playing the leading role in elevating the brand to seventh in the 2009 fleet registrations chart.
Practicality, adaptability, comfort and that wonderful panoramic sunroof [1] are the stand-out features, which when combined with well-balanced on-road manners and decent ride quality make the car a highly competent all-rounder that will be sorely missed, both in the office and at home.
In fact, it has proved so good as a means of family transport, both for the boot space it provides (450 litres with the two rearmost seats down [2]) and the 4x4 capability that came into its own in the winter, my partner has been searching the internet in vain for a second-hand bargain. Unfortunately for us, a residual value of 35.3%, which is good for a volume brand, would suggest she's not the only person who wants a used Qashqai.
Our car, of course, wasn't the standard five-seat version but a top-of-the range Tekna spec seven-seater, the extra two seats giving the model its Qashqai+2 name. These seats, unlike the ones on the second row that can slide and tilt forward, are fixed, and, due to the awkwardness adults will encounter when trying to use them, most suitable for kids. They also fold flat into the boot floor, and raising them again is simplicity itself, being just a case of inserting an index finger into the cloth tab on the back [3] and yanking upright.
Aside from the difficulty grown-ups will have with accessing and sitting comfortable in the back, there are a few other issues to gripe about.
The 150hp 2.0-litre engine, though generally good, is a bit raspy when pushed, and the ignition system that fires it up/powers it down, positioned where an old-school ignition switch would be, is less than straightforward to switch off. The fuel cap release lever is a touch on the flimsy side, while the driver's seat lumbar support barely offers any extra firmness. Finally, we also had a problem with an alarm that would sound randomly, which we were unable to resolve despite a visit to a helpful dealer.
This list of concerns, however, is minor and they don't detract from the Qq+2's general display of competence that includes delivering a real-world fuel economy of 35.5mpg, which for a BusinessCar long-termer is good return when compared to the claimed combined consumption of 40.4mpg.
Its departure has left a big Mini-MPV-sized hole that's going take a lot of filling, both from a professional and domestic perspective.
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