2008 Nissan Dualis review
March 7, 2008 by rjw
2008 Nissan Dualis review
It turns in like a car, the body stays flat and it is not flustered by mid-corner bumps – how many SUVs can you say that about?
Model tested:
- 2008 Nissan Dualis ST manual – $28,990, as tested $30,990
Refinement. Fuel consumption. Safety credentials.
Poor rear vision. Mild performance. Small boot.
CarAdvice rating: 
Model range: $28,990 – $35,990
Options fitted: Electronic stability control, side and curtain airbags, 16-inch alloy wheels
- by Robert Wilson
Call me old fashioned, but there are some things about the modern world that I just don’t get. (pause here, as I light my pipe and put my feet into comfy slippers) I mean, singing stars chosen by TV programs, text messaging when you can use your phone to let someone hear your voice, what’s that about? And then there’s the really odd one, SUVs that look like hatchbacks. What the … ?
SUV – sport utility vehicle – is a creeping Americanism but a useful one. The phrase, if not the vehicles it refers to, deserves to be as ubiquitous as the Big Mac. Its inherent contradiction and clumsiness (Sport and utility? Yeah, right) serves as a fair warning to anyone who thinks about purchasing one of these things. Caveat emptor, trendsetters.
A four-wheel drive, by comparison, is a very different beast, the automotive equivalent of a frontiersman, with few social graces, a fair number of filthy habits but an impressive repertoire of basic bush skills that have been bred out of the rest of us.
Nissan makes both SUVs and 4WDs. The new Dualis is at the SUV end of the spectrum. True, it’s got an all-wheel drive system but Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City would be more interested in the rugged outdoor life.
Dualis is a metropolitan creature, designed to be irresistible to urban dwellers who find themselves torn between a snappy little hatchback and an appealingly butch off-roader. As a sort of off-road hatchback it combines the advantages both, Nissan says.
This car is everything i want in my car.
- practical as a everyday car
- Low fuel compsumption
- great looks for a young bloke (22yo)
- great interior
- plenty of space for my mates
- plenty of space for my luggage (fishing equipment, hunting eqiupment)
- reliable brand, NISSAN>SUZIKI in my books.
:)
i just saw nissan advertised the base model at $25990 manual + 1000 dollars worth of petrol voucher
which means the price has dropped $4000 all together.
I still havent seen much on the WA roads yet. (had spotted heaps of new micra on the road but not the dualis).
I just brought one for the wife, Got the ST with all the options possible like CVT Auto Side Airbags, ABLS, TCS, VDC EUC etc etc, plus a couple extras like tow bar, roof racks, nuge bar for 27,000 new.
They are not selling well, can pick up a bargin if willing to haggle hard.
It is a little Buzz box for picking the kids up and going shopping without being to small in the passanger area and the big one I feel safer in it than a few others I looked at.
I am impressed with the ride and the handling is spot on, my only two grips are boot space, but all it needs to carry is the weeking shopping and kids sport bags which the boot is plenty big enough for, and a bit more get up and go would be nice, but its quicker of the mark than my 4wd.
The Dualis a real nice little town car, and I admit I enjoy driving the thing, this is a very under rated little car
I honestly don’t understand why people compare the specs of Dualis with off-roader such as X-trail in the market. It is just not fair because Dualis neither belongs to the big offroader segment, nor the small car segment. Dualis is at the niche market. That means it is for a group of people who don’t go offroad all the time, but requires an elevated driving position and larger space. And they never prefer SUVs because it just costs too much on fuel. Thats the main reason to have a product like Dualis for city drivers.
And for those people who says Suzuki is 10 times better than Nissan, just go home and do some more research on net.
Nissan, Honda and Toyota are the three main japanese car manufacturers in the domestic japanese market. Local car sales of Nissan is more or pretty much similar to Toyotas in Japan. Suzuki probably ranks at the bottom in terms of car sales. And Nissan makes cars in all segments while suzuki mainly makes small and 4WDs. In terms of company size and technology, Suzuki is no way better than Nissan.
Wasn’t the SX4 designed in collaboration with Fiat (Fiat Sedici)? I think it’s strange that people would prefer that over a Nissan when in Italy (Fiats fortress) the SX4 wasn’t really all that successful. But lets face it, it’s selling crazy amounts all over the world. I hate to say it but if you want to know what a good city car is, buy what the Europeans buy. If you want a great off roader buy a Land Cruiser, Patrol, Pajero, Wrangler, H1, Defender, etc. and actually pay the price difference for something you’ll use. It’s just trying to fill the gap the HRV left open, with a better 4WD system.
I have just ordered a Dualis Ti CVT auto and I think it will be a great car. I must admit that the usual full retail price of close to 39k is too much for this car but at the moment there are great deals around. I only paid $32k drive away with all the extras I wanted. At this price it represents great value because to get a similar specified larger 4wd you would need to spend upwards of 40k for a RAV4, CRV or X-Trail etc. My car will only see the odd dirt road or grassy hill etc. My wife likes the extra height and security of a 4wd. On the test drive it handled very well with sharp turn in and it sat really flat through corners – surprising considering the ride height. The car also has solid, quality feel to it. My only gripe is that it is not available yet as a diesel – the extra tractability and torque would have been appreciated. All up (at current prices) it seems like a bargain luxury city/country run about.
Just interested in how many of you guys have driven all these cars you are comparing, I test drove most of them & found the Dualis the best. I picked it up last week Auto CVT Ti, tint windows front rear sensors etc $34,000 drive away. It may be a bit early to judge but I live in Brisbane & have found it great in the city eg.parking fuel economy, great to throw in & out of corners. I also own 62 acres rural land (not flat) & it handled great in 4×4 lock. I would advise anyone looking for an SUV to buy this car.
I’ve had the ST option 6 speed manual since Oct 08, and have nothing but good things to say about this car. If you want to compare it to a large 4wd then you’ve missed the point – this car fills the yawning gap of small wagons in the Oz market.
We were looking for a compact wagon with a bigger than average boot and top notch safety – in europe there are a stack of vehicles in this segment as fuel economy is more highly prized for family cars, but over here it boiled down to the tired Astra estate, waiting for the new Hyundai i30CW, or getting the Dualis. We got a driveaway deal of $27k, and love this car. It’s responsive, economical, has the extra space we wanted over our old corrola. I have no problem with the smooth 2.0ltr engine which pulls just fine around town and on the freeway including Sydneys steep hills. By the way, build quality is superb!
Highly recommend this car to anyone looking for an economical compact wagon, and at current prices it’s now great value.
I don’t understand why everyone has to pretend to be so knowledgeable when you just are negative and pretentious. You only echo the ultra-conservative (backward) comment of the pipeman…I mean who can still be surprised by ‘americanism’ when all australia breathes is foreign???…what is on TV? why people consume american conceived fast food? etc etc etc…wake up and stop being so goddam backward and negative.
Nissan Dualis is just as good as the car you are conditioned to believe is ‘IT’.
I also want to know how many of you have driven this car before commenting on its performance. I have a dualis St model and i am pretty happy with its performance. It’s a family car, off roader, economic AWD.I am really satisfied with its performance even in bush roads. It won’t even tilt its body when you take a curve at > 90 Km/H.its stable and safe. It cost me $32000 drive away. I am getting 8.5L/100Km.Its features are really worth for a less price of$32000 comparing to other SUV’s in this range can not compare RAV4 & 6,Subaru forester etc with this small good looking vehicle. Compare that with x trail or Murano.2 lt engine will give sufficient power and fuel economy. If you need a 4 WD or more powered vehicle to take your heavy and ugly caravan don’t go for Dualis, better go for Land Cruiser or Nissan patrol. Then you won’t feel any complaints regarding efficiency. Keep in mind Nissan made this Vehicle only after market surveys and studies. I strongly recommend people to have a nice car like Dualis.
I’ve been searching years for a car like this – a genuine (occasional) off-roader, automatic, that isn’t the size of a tank, after all, I’m generally the only one in it!! Rav 4s & auto Subi’s don’t cut it because they’re not a genuine 4wd, and the current models are getting so BIG. Only the Suzuki GV & (surprise surprise) the Mercedes CDIs compare with the Dualis auto, on & OFF-road, AND it has much better fuel economy. May not suit all the armchair critics that only seem to want bigger/heavier/faster, but this fills the mid-size on/off road niche perfectly that has been abandoned by all the other manufacturers.
2WD released today, c/mon C/A get with the program!
Around $2k less than the AWD version, still WAYYYYYY to much, should be well under $20k for 2wd and the AWD mirror the price of the Suzuki SX4.
Will continue to sell in tiny numbers….
Thanks
I just bought a Dualis AWD. I love it! I have a recent back/leg problem so was looking for comfort as my only priority. I sat in so many cars large and small, not caring about make, model, power, 4WD, fuel consumption, or anything that most people think of when car shopping, none of it was important to me and still isn’t. The Dualis (and Tiida) gets my vote for a comfortable affordable car.