Leader wins a bigger majority

I f ever a car de“ined a segment, it’s the Nissan Qashqai. Hard to believe it’s a decade since the Mk1 arrived, pioneering the crossover craze by turning mundane mainstream (Primera/Almera) into niche normal (SUV-lite on every street corner). Now the Mk2 is more than three years old, it gets a midlife makeover.

The bonnet has been reshaped, the grille is tighter, the headlamps are zappier, a pronounced new Nissan badge hides radar for the cruise control, and there’s a natty new rear end. But it’s not just cosmetic: tighter door seals are “itted and new aero ‘“licks’ underneath provide more hushed cruising.

There’s been only a modest tidy-up inside, with a smattering of upgraded materials, the latest infotainment improvements and a posh new Tekna+ trim which adds a kitchen sink level of equipment, as well as some poshfeeling latticework leather seats.

Does it work? Nissan clearly knows its target customer inside out: the Qashqai wasn’t broke, so there wasn’t much to “ix. Instead, a democratically priced and positioned crossover has been polished to make it more attractive for Britain’s hard-pressed families.

The boot is still a bit of a squeeze at a modest 430 litres (step up to the new XŽTrail, also facelifted this summer, if you want a huge load bay or seven seats) but there’s plenty of space for four passengers.

And the drive is pleasantly calming – this is a quiet, re“ined cruiser and the Qashqai rides comfortably even on its bigger 19-inch wheels. Thrills are hard to “ind, but if you value sensible, attractively priced family transport, the genre-de“ining Qashqai is still worth a look. TIM POLLARD @TimPollardCars

Styling tweaked, cabin upgraded, engine line-up left well alone