Qashqai stays one step ahead

IWOULD expect few arguments if I were to make the assertion that the Nissan Qashqai is the motoring success story of the last decade or so. If there is anyone around who would care to take issue with that, I’m confident that the facts and figures would back me up. When it launched in 2007 the Qashqai – designed, engineered and built in the UK – was the car that kick-started the craze for compact SUVS, quickly becoming the benchmark against which all others in the burgeoning sector were judged. More than three million have now been built at Nissan’s Sunderland plant and, despite the presence of many more rivals today, it remains Britain’s best-selling crossover and a permanent fixture at the upper end of our top ten most popular motors. In fact, last year, after ten years on the road, the Qashqai’s popularity was as strong as ever, with a 1.2 per cent increase in sales worldwide, including 265,520 in Europe, making it another record-breaking year for the model. You don’t stay ahead of the pack by resting on your laurels, of course, and Nissan’s most successful ever European car has continued to develop and evolve. The latest innovation is Propilot technology, debuted in the Nissan Leaf earlier this year and now drafted in to keep the Qashqai flying high. Showcased in this flagship Pilot One Edition, the semi-autonomous system is activated simply by pressing a button on the steering wheel and controls the steering, acceleration and braking when cruising on motorways, keeping you in your lane and a safe distance from the car in front. Thanks to something called Traffic Jam Pilot it will even bring the vehicle to a halt and automatically move off again within around three seconds should you hit stop-start traffic. And if you’re stationary for more than three seconds a tap on the accelerator or pushing another button on the steering wheel will set you happily on your way again. Although heralding Nissan’s first steps towards fully autonomous driving Propilot is, for the time being, a hands-on system, which requires the driver to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Nevertheless, by helping to reduce tiredness and stress, it takes much of the hassle out of motorway driving, adding further appeal to the Qashqai’s already relaxed and easy-to-drive character. The single push-button approach also brings all of the features together in a more user-friendly and coherent manner than other manufacturers have thus far managed – eradicating the need to go delving into complex settings menus. Aside from the high-tech driver aids Pilot One Editions also benefit from subtle visual enhancements and a fully-loaded, luxury interior. Based on the range-topping Tekna+ grade, the special version additionally gets Storm White pearlescent paint, plum Nappa leather upholstery, sports pedals, a chrome exterior styling pack and ‘Pilot One Edition’ tread boards and interior badging as standard. Power comes from a 130ps, 1.6-litre diesel engine paired with a smooth Xtronic continuously variable transmission which, while it won’t win any races, offers plenty of pull on the move and is versatile and responsive enough for everyday driving, easy overtaking and motorway cruising. As long as you stick to this powertrain combination you can add Propilot to Qashqai Tekna and Tekna+ versions as a £795 option, while the same grades with the same engine but a manual gearbox and four-wheel drive can be specified with a pared down Drive Assist Pack that does without the Traffic Jam Pilot.