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country - but you can be given a hefty fine for not using your headlights when you should, so err on the side of caution. Remember, speed limits on the continent are different to those in the UK and will be given in kilometres per hour or km/h. Most cars will have km/h speeds printed on their speedometers, or for modern cars with digital speedometers you should be able to switch to km/h.

If this isn’t clear to you, consider sticking a small cheat sheet to your instrument panel with the speed limits and their equivalents in mph - making sure not to cover anything important as you do.

In some countries, speed limits vary depending on the weather. In France, for example, the standard speed limits of 90km/h, 110km/h and 130km/h for rural roads, expressways and motorways respectively are lowered in inclement weather to 80, 100 and 110km/h.

One final point, radar detectors - of the sort used to pinpoint speed cameras and officers performance speed checks - are banned in almost all of continental Europe. The same applies to sat-navs or smartphones with a built-in speed camera alert, and this will need to be disabled. HAVE met eight or nine people who have owned or still have a Nissan Qashqai and they have all been delighted with their cars.

The company’s claims that the Qashqai was the first crossover are a little uncertain since the original Honda HR-V and Toyota RAV4 were both ahead of it – probably along with a couple more I can’t remember.

That said, it was the first company to really capitalize on the genre of a highriding front wheel drive SUV for the road.

Almost all the completely British-built Qashqais sold have been front wheel drive and, in the most recent range introduced in 2014, there is only one available with all wheel drive and that’s the larger 130bhp 1.6 diesel.

But even then, most sold have been front wheel drive apparently. The majority of owners don’t want the extra expense and running costs of a 4x4.

They want the high driving position and the feel of something more bulky and substantial around them while only having to pay the running costs of a normal family hatch.

Other engines in this latest model are a 1.5 diesel with 110bhp and capable of an excellent 74 miles per gallon, and two petrols – a 1.2 turbo with 113bhp and a 1.6 turbo with 160.

The 1.2 is capable of 50mpg while the 1.6 isn’t far behind at 48. Both of these offer good performance, as does the 1.6 diesel, but the biggest selling 1.5 is a little way behind.

All are very comfortable over all surfaces and come with safe, sure handling helped by positive and informative power steering.

The clutch is light and easy, the gearchange slick and there’s plenty of legroom front and rear.

While comfort is very good the front seats are too deep, which means the front is too high behind the thighs for shorter drivers, who might well need a cushion.

Equipment is good even in base Visia models, which have audio remote, split fold rear seats, front electric windows, heated electric mirrors, remote locking, traction control, air con and cruise.

Mid-range N-Tec adds alloys, height and lumbar adjustment for the driver’s seat, parking sensors and sat nav.

Pay about £10,450 for a ’15 15-reg Visia 1.2, or £13,300 for an ’16 16-reg N-Tec 1.5 diesel.