GLOBAL CASH COW COMES TO CANADA
Nissan’s Qashqai boasts roomy cabin and stellar drive at fantastic price point
Forget the awkward MONTREAL name, or refer to it as Nissan’s newest “cash cow,” because the 2017 Nissan Qashqai, a compact utility vehicle that slots just below the popular Rogue, is going to do to Canada what it has already done to Europe: Set sales charts on fire.
It’s not just because it looks so darned fetching.
The 2017 Qashqai drives nothing like you’d expect of a compact vehicle, and it’s priced to take the market by storm: the base model — available with a six-speed manual — rings in at a hair under $20,000 before freight.
Sure, that gets a spartan cloth interior and only front-wheel drive, but even top-of-the line SL Platinum models with AWD land at just over $32,000, and they come with enough safety features to mirror those on many a Mercedes, including Nissan’s highly regarded “around view” monitor.
Nissan, unfortunately, makes buyers climb all the way to the top model to obtain all the safety nannies, but a range of models over three trim lines — S, SV and SL — cater to a range of budgets.
For young couples without kids, thinking they need only a small car for the city, the Qashqai should end up on their list, cross-shopped against compacts such as the Mazda3 or CX-3, the Volkswagen Golf, Honda’s HR-V, and even the Toyota RAV4.
For anyone thinking of a compact car, discard those plans immediately. Not only does the Qashqai allow for more cargo space, it has a roomy interior, drives better than any compact, and gets Nissan’s intelligent
AWD system that can be locked at low speed for really deep snow. SV models, which start at $24,598, even get a heated steering wheel, automatic climate control and a sunroof. Lovely.
With a lower centre of gravity than the Rogue, the Qashqai drives smartly. Visibility to the front, sides and rear is very good, and the side mirrors are not some itty-bitty little things. Parking in the city is easy, as is making U-turns with a 11.5-metre turning radius. A multi-link rear suspension massages bruised roads, and the electric power steering doesn’t allow much to protrude through the wheel while still allowing enough feel to lend some excitement when the road becomes winding. The steering can also be adjusted between normal and sport modes on SV and SL models.
The Qashqai tracks well, and the brakes feel excellent.
No, the 2.0-litre four cylinder — the only engine on all trims — will not impress those looking for rocket acceleration, and a turbocharger would be a welcome addition. But those searching for smoothness and refinement will find plenty to cheer about here.
Even under full throttle, where the inherently coarse roots of a four cylinder are usually found, the direct-injection engine remains calm as it dishes out
141 horsepower and 147 poundfeet of torque.
The power won’t punch drivers into their seats, of course, and it might feel inadequate when passing urgency is required.
But the engine will nonetheless impress with the way it streams power so eloquently through a continuously variable transmission that tries to mimic the actions of a regular, seven-speed gearbox. The CVT, even with a manumatic mode, has never been our favourite gearbox, but it feels perfectly up to the job in the Qashqai.
Despite being some 25 centimetres shorter and 9.8 cm lower than the Rogue, the Qashqai feels no less spacious inside. Most adults will give the rear seats a nod of approval, and cargo room is superior to the enclosure of any compact car. The 60/40-split rear seats fold flat. With the rear seats up, there’s 648 L (22.9 cu. ft) of cargo space; with the seats down, there’s 1,730 L (61.1 cu. ft).
A smart-looking instrument cluster, knobs and switchgear adopted from the Rogue, along with respectable trim, mean the cabin feels more expensive than its sticker price would suggest, especially in the SL. The gear shift and flat-bottom leather steering wheel both feel good to the touch. The six-way adjustable driver’s seat may even be more comfortable than that in the Rogue, and the leather in the SL, in either tan or black, appears to be of decent quality. Out on the highway, cabin noise is noticeable, but it’s less than expected for a vehicle at this price point.
Available in eight colours, from Nitro Lime to Glacier White, the Qashqai has been a smashing success in Europe and other parts of the world, recording some three million sales globally since its debut 10 years ago. Now in a revised version of its second generation, the Qashqai (to be called the Rogue Sport in the
U.S. and assembled in Kyushu, Japan) is finally here in Canada. With the compact utility market already the most popular segment, the Qashqai will no doubt become just as popular here as it has been everywhere else.
Pricing ranges from $19,998 for the base, front-drive Qashqai S with the six-speed manual, to $32,198 for the all-wheel-drive Qashqai SL Platinum. VISIT DRIVING.CA TO SEE MORE PHOTOS AND VIDEO OF THE NISSAN QASHQAI