Review: 2014 Nissan QASHQAI
Posted in Vehicle Reviews
Review: 2014 Nissan QASHQAI
Nissan has no shortage of SUV’s available on the market, and their newest addition, the 2014 Nissan QASHQAI, is aimed precisely at young, growing families and replaces the outgoing Nissan Dualis.
The QASHQAI finds itself in-between the Juke and the X-Trail in the Nissan family and is designed for on road comfort. Being available only in 2WD in Australia means that exploring off-road tracks won’t be a good idea.
That lack of AWD or 4WD is made up by the supreme amount of features, creature comforts and overall good performance from the both the petrol and diesel engines available. These options deliver a solid fuel economy cycle of 7.7litres/100km in the petrol and an awesome 4.9litres/100km for the diesel.
Nissan has simplified the QASHQAI model line up to make it easy to find the right car for you. Available at launch is the ST and Ti petrol models, and the TS and TL diesel models.
Scoring a 36.56 out of 37 points, ANCAP awarded the QASHQAI a five star safety rating. Contributing that success is its array of safety systems including 6 airbags, lane departure warning, blind sport warning, high-beam assist, moving object detection and driver attention support.
This is no doubt one of the reasons it took out the Small 2WD SUV trophy at the 2014 Australia's Best Car Awards. The Qashqai has gone from strength to strength in its time on Australian shores, rewarded by the car industry and everyday drivers.
INITIAL IMPRESSION
With obvious references to Nissan’s current design language, the dynamic look, awesome range of paint colours and an easy to use interior the Nissan QASHQAI makes a solid impression.
It truly looks like a modern car, and this is helped with the addition of LED headlights that are super bright and help with the modern feel of the QASHQAI.
The interior feels big and roomy and the durable materials used means that you should be able to enjoy a busy lifestyle for years to come. In our Ti review model, the leather steering wheel tops off the experience and made us excited for the road test.
DRIVABILITY
The QASHQAI has been designed for the urban dweller and drivability is an important factor to navigating peak hour traffic, tight car parks and lots of pedestrian traffic.
Everything that Nissan have included in the Ti and TL models, such as the electric power steering, blind spot warning, parking assist and the swag of cameras around the car are about making driving easy and stress free.
We were able to find a tight car space and let the QASHQAI take care of parking the car for us. Then, when it was time for us to depart, the around view monitor not only showed a birds eye view of the car, but also alerted us to passing cars or pedestrians.
Pair that all with a smooth CVT transmission, balanced petrol and diesel motors and a relaxing ride, and there is lots to love about the QASHQAI.
COST
The Nissan QASHQAI pricing starts from $28,824 drive-away for the entry-level ST Petrol model or $36,393 drive-away for the TS diesel model. Whilst it is the most competitively priced model, those who want to get the most out of safety features available the Ti Petrol and TL models are the ones to pick.
Starting from $35,662 and $41,327 for the Ti and TL respectively, the inclusion of larger alloy wheels, around view monitor, satellite navigation, blind spot warning, moving object detection and a panoramic glass roof means this is a winning combination.
Also included is 6 years/120,000km of capped price servicing, 3 years of Roadside Assistance, and a 3 Year/100,000km warranty.
CONCLUSION
The latest addition to the Nissan SUV range is a competent combination of a SUV and a station wagon in an affordable package. The lack of an AWD or 4X4 model is a non-issue with most buyers not looking for a off-road capable vehicle.
Nissan has done a commendable job and we look forward to seeing another great looking SUV on the road!
