The first Qashqai has been quite a success for Nissan as it generates a healthy sales volume over in the UK which can be attributed to its clever design all package within a frame that manages to stand out in the crowd but not overly offensive. The Qashqai's predecessor was motivated by a 2.0 normally aspirated heart but the current gen receives a turbo charged unit for the Petrol variant. Can Nissan continue to maintain the success of the Qashqai well into its second generation? Our fellow journalist shares their opinion on the Qashqai :
Autoexpress says :
The new Nissan Qashqai might not quite be the groundbreaker its predecessor was, but it’s gone straight to the top of the class. Its combination of comfort, usable space, quality and tech is unbeatable, while it has solid, secure driving characteristics. We like this CVT auto, too – an example of the clever thinking that makes the Qashqai such a great car.
Autocar says :
The new Qashqai’s styling is indisputably more modern than the old, and you can’t miss the family resemblance, but the latest model strucks some critics as somewhat blander than the outgoing car, universally regarded as uncommonly handsome.
Yet from the minute you first step into the new edition, with its new seats designed on NASA principles to spread bodily loading evenly and deliver long distance comfort, and its impressive fascia and instrument pack revised in almost every detail you can’t help being impressed by the care taken with new car’s details.
The boot is a particular tour-de-force of versatility, with deep hidey-holes, grocery compartments, vertical dividers all available according to the owner’s wish. It is clear Nissan’s designers have seen the size of the challenge in replacing a winner, and invested all the time and money it took.
On the road, it is refined and enjoyable to drive. The slightly quicker, improved electric power steering allows the car to be placed with accuracy, the low road noise shows the benefit of its twin-tube dampers that have a special facility for damping high frequency surface noise, and the Nissan stays composed and very stable over the weirdest road surfaces.
Over in the United States the Nissan Rogue which is essentially Qashqai's bigger engined twin is powered by a Nissan's QR25DE 2.5 liter engine.
Autoblog says :
Nissan says the Rogue's four-cylinder is an "evolution" of its QR25DE powerplant, and while it's basically the same engine found in the Altima sedan, it's slightly less powerful in this application. I wish it weren't. At times, the Rogue feels sluggish, especially off the line and on hills. An additional 15 or 20 horsepower would be great, as would a small boost in torque – especially when fully laden. But for the vast majority of my drive in the Rogue, it wasn't a problem. The transmission is a smooth operator, and since it keeps the revs super low during cruising, that not-so-great engine noise isn't really a problem
Driving the Rogue is – you guessed it – fine. The steering is nicely weighted, with decent on-center feel, albeit not quite as direct and precise as the steering in the Mazda CX-5, the segment's undisputed dynamic champ. In terms of overall driving enjoyment, the Rogue falls somewhere in the middle-high range of the segment – not as engaging as the aforementioned CX-5 or even a Subaru Forester, but it's a more entertaining steer than other competitors like the Toyota RAV4, Chevrolet Equinox and Honda CR-V.
Nissan has employed a whole host of technologies to keep things cool on the road, including Active Trace Control that will automatically lightly drag the inner or outer brakes to keep things stable in turns, Active Engine Braking to enhance slowing on grades and improve stopping feel, Hill Start Assist, and optional all-wheel drive with Hill Descent Control. There's also an Active Ride Control system, which Nissan says will apply the brakes and adjust engine torque to reduce body roll and vehicle vibration.
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