What is it?
It’s a Qashqai, the benchmark crossover, facelifted for 2010. Nissan have presumably concluded that the Qashqai wasn’t all that broken and opted not to fix it to any great degree, so updates are relatively minor.
What you get are exterior cosmetic changes and new colours, interior styling changes and, perhaps most significantly, under-the-skin tweaks aimed at reducing interior noise and enhancing the ride.
The version driven here is the two-wheel drive 1.5 dCi in upper-midrange n-tec trim, but all the 2010 updates apply across the whole Qashqai and Qashqai +2 range.
What’s it like?
Well, as we’ve established, it’s a Qashqai, and not hugely different from those we’ve driven before. On the outside a restyled front gives a fresher look and appears to draw some inspiration from the Infinti EX.
Minor interior changes include new dials, front footwell lighting and a new cubby hole, while improved insulation around the bulkhead, a new design windscreen and new window sealing around the A-pillar have resulted in a noticeable reduction in cabin noise.
Along with a marginally improved ride which feels firmer and more controlled while still allowing some off roader-esque body roll in corners, the overall impression is of a more refined and accomplished, if not ultimately all that rewarding, drive.
Should I buy one?
Quite possibly, yes. Nissan bills this year’s updates as ‘extensive’, but on the face of it there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot different. However, the changes add up to a more polished and desirable package than before.
If you’re sold on the idea of a high-rise driving position and chunkily purposeful exterior looks, then the improved Qashqai sits comfortably on the crossover leader board.
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Re: Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi N-Tec
You're right the Focus has a great chassis and is good fun. It also has a crappy interior and is louder than a 747 at take off at motorway speeds. The QQ is the one I'd want to live with day in day out (if limited to just those two of course).
Re: Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi N-Tec
Having driven both vehicles, I can assure you the Focus is not the boring car...
QQ - style over substance! The focus might not catch the eye, but it is a lot of fun to hurl around!
Re: Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi N-Tec
You've contradicted yourself a bit there. Ignore the 0-60 time it's irrelevant, in real world driving conditions this is plenty fast enough for most people. As you say, it's not meant to be a sports car.