Nissan Dualis Review
August 6, 2009 by Alborz Fallah
2009 Nissan Dualis Hatch+ 2WD – First Steer
When is a compact SUV not a compact SUV, when it’s a Nissan apparently, at least that’s what the Japanese importer would have us believe when it comes to the Dualis Hatch+, especially in its latest iteration the two-wheel drive.
By David Twomey
As well as launching the European volume-selling version of the Dualis, Nissan has repositioned it and the all-wheel-drive version, effectively lopping $6000 of the base price.
That means the Dualis Hatch+ ST 2WD starts at a highly competitive $24,990 for the six-speed manual, with the CVT being just $2500 dearer.
The result is Nissan is expecting at least a three-fold increase in sales volume with Dualis Brand Manager, Adrian Givoye, predicting minimum sales in a full year of 7000 vehicles, a substantial jump from the 2400 Dualis AWDs that were moved last year.
As if that wasn’t enough the company also indicated it is looking at a diesel version of the Dualis for sometime next year and, within a similar time frame, a stretched version of the Dualis, called the Dualis Plus, which offers seven-seats and will compete in the people mover segment of the market.
The Dualis looks like a compact SUV to us, but Mr Givoye assures us its meant to play in the very competitive small car segment, challenging the likes of the Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, VW Golf and Subaru Impreza RX.
At the same time he concedes the industry will probably call it a compact SUV, but says Nissan will be seriously challenging the main players in the hatch market by offering a vehicle which has more space, leading edge safety – it comes with an ANCAP five-star rating thanks to the inclusion across the range of six airbags and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) or as Nissan calls it VDC.
Essentially with the repositioning of the range the AWD versions of the Dualis will become a $2000 option on both the ST and Ti model grades.
Nissan Australian Managing Director Dan Thompson said the price position of the Dualis was the result of some hard bargaining with the company’s parent in Japan and positive currency movements between the Australian dollar, the British pound and the Euro.
The Dualis is built in Britain, hence the interest in the European currency movements.
It’s also the first mainstream product launch for Nissan, which has now added five new models to its range this year, the 370Z, the GT-R, the Murano and Maxima.
Mr Thompson said the Dualis Hatch+ now sat between the Tiida and the Maxima and offered the company the prospect of substantial sales volume in an area where it had not previously had a product.
He said Nissan was firmly of the view that the Dualis offered buyers in the 24-35 year-old bracket, with young families, a real alternative to the more conventional hatch offerings.
Mr Givoye said that with its high-riding body and spacious interior, the new Dualis 2WD will have great appeal to urban couples looking for more safety, style, features and flexibility than conventional hatchbacks could offer.
“The luxury of the Ti model, priced at $27,990, with its heated leather seat upholstery is unique among its hatch rivals,” he said.
The Nissan Dualis 2WD is a very safe vehicle thanks in part to six airbags, active head restraints, VDC, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Traction Control System (TCS).
Like the Nissan Dualis AWD, the Dualis 2WD is powered by an aluminium 2.0-litre petrol engine producing 102kW and returning an impressive 8.2-litres per 100km in six-speed manual guise, or 8.3-l/100km with the optional Xtronic CVT with six-speed M-MODE.
“The genius of the Dualis 2WD is that it meets the needs of hatchback buyers who want more space and flexibility but don’t need an AWD vehicle,” said Mr Thompson.
“The competitive price point will come as a pleasant surprise, too, Dualis 2WD is pitched at the heart of the hatchback market and has a compelling value-for-money story to tell,” Mr Thompson said.
Nissan describes the Dualis as a five-door hatch with an elevated driving position, multi-configurable interior and high level of specification is sure to have broad appeal among the biggest segment of passenger car buyers.
The Dualis 2WD also boasts economy and handling comparable with mainstream hatchbacks, with the benefit of the elevated driving position.
From behind the wheel the sense is entirely that of a European hatchback, with high quality touch-points.
The Nissan DUALIS with its low roofline, short overhangs and compact exterior make it the ideal urban transport.
The command driving position delivers improved visibility and a sensation of security and control, yet the step-in height is perfect for customers of all ages, and both Dualis 2WD and AWD share the same ride height.
The modern styling is a standout shape that is aerodynamically efficient, more muscular than a hatchback, yet retaining a sleek look, especially in profile.
Interior styling is also notable for its cockpit feel, with the key switchgear and controls placed around the driver.
The load area swallows 410-litres of luggage, and is extendable to 1513-litres with the 60/40 split-fold rear seats pushed flat, or 860-litres with the seats folded, and the load area packed to the window-line.
It’s all of that and when buyers take to the road in it they won’t notice the loss of AWD as the 2WD version drives with the same solid feel, compliant ride and well modulated handling as its all-paw sibling.
Our sampling of the Dualis around Sydney’s suburban regions wasn’t exactly challenging, but Nissan did say this was the world of the Dualis, and they are not wrong.
However, switching from the slightly lethargic feeling six-speed manual to the CVT equipped model seemed to give an impression of a more spritely drive, probably the result of the CVT being eager to change ratios at the slightest demand.
A full appraisal of the Dualis Hatch+ 2WD will have to wait for a couple of weeks until CarAdvice gets its hands on a vehicle for an extended test.
MY2010 Nissan DUALIS pricing
DUALIS 2WD Hatch
ST Manual: $24,990
ST CVT: $27,490
Ti Manual: $27,990
Ti CVT: $30,490
DUALIS AWD
ST Manual: $26,990
ST CVT: $29,490
Ti Manual: $29,990
Ti CVT: $32,490
Metallic paint $495
(All prices quoted are manufacturer prices and are exclusive of dealer delivery and on road costs.)
About time. The entire point of this car, which has been hard to see in Australia so far considering it was only AWD until now, is that it is a Focus and Golf competitor with jacked up styling to appeal to a market that may have bought an SUV but doesn’t actually need one. I think it does it quite convincingly. It’s quite a good drive, it has a big cabin; not much to hate really. I’d rather a Golf, but this is probably the best hatchback on the market for families considering the safety and the extra space. It is much better with a diesel though.
I can’t think why Nissan Australia introduced it with AWD only. It’s not really a compact SUV. That’s what the X-Trail is for.
It could stand to be just a couple of thousand dollars cheaper, but other than that it’s a good, convincing family car.
Will the ST really come with 6 airbags and stability control? I though that was only an option on the AWD version …
Finally they’ve dropped the price! When looking at a new car last year, I looked at the Dualis 4WD Ti manual, and on-road it was something like $38k! For a car with no climate-control air-con…
The Ti is now 27k (2-) and 29k (4-WD) and for me that’s pretty good value for money. I hope they do sell a few more than current levels, as it’s a resonably good car!
And I do hope they bring in the Diesel/7-seat versions too. Just make sure there is a Diesel version of the 7-seat though as I’m not sure the Petrol 2.0 litre would like 7-seats plus 4WD…
Nissan, keep up the good work. We just need Infiniti, the Altima mid-size sedan, the Sentra small-sedan to replace the Tiida (or how about the Tiida facelift???) and would it kill you to replace our Maxima with the US version!? It’s not better looking, but it’s alot sportier!
Paulo, as the story says six airbags and ESC are standard across the range, hence the five-star ANCAP rating.
Doubt the 7 seater will be AWD
I’d have one
Thats great value !!!
The interior is cheap and nasty. Poor radio face is bit lonely there in the centre dash. Seats don’t look comfortable and the hand brake is on the wrong side of the console!
The interior is not cheap and nasty – I own the AWD ST Option model, and it’s a high quality finish with soft touch plastics. After 20k of driving it’s still looking as good as new, and build quality of this vehicle is superb. As usual people should stick to commenting on cars they’ve actually driven
The 2WD makes so much more sense as these cars never go off road, and this is what we would have bought had it been available. The diesel engines will also be a big plus when they come over here – these are the main sellers in overseas markets
With this now priced correctly, it makes it a worthwhile consideration for anyone looking for a compact wagon.
Sorry fishman but I have to agree with frenchie.
I looked at buying one last year as they are such a great sounding car on paper. However the reality of the car was a huge disapointment. One of the demonstrators I drove was so poorly built that they had filled up the glovebox with the bits of the interrior trim that had fallen off the car. The mismatched leather on the seats was sewn together crooked. Over all it was just such a shabby built car it was a joke, not even on par with early 80’s korean cars.
The car had been a demo only two months but looked like it had been trashed by a big family for 3 years.
Fishman maybe you got a good one and maybe I drove a bad one but i wish you luck with your car because I recon you are going to ned it.
I’ve been looking for a decent, compact and environmentally friendly (diesel) wagon for a while now. The i30cw is too small and (still) too Korean. The 308 Touring is too expensive and (still) too French. A Dualis 7 seater diesel would seem to fit the bill. The Poms have had it for over a year. Time we had it too.
Mazdaman – sounds like you tested a dud; I test drove 3 different vehicles before buying, and all were spot on.
These have been selling by the bucket load in europe and there are no reports of quality issues, so I don’t reckon I’ll need luck ;)
Suprised LPi that there’s not enough driving room – I’m 6′3 (185cm) and I find it more than ample. Rear legroom is tight though, so you wouldn’t want 4 adults in for a long journey – but its just fine for the kids.
If they bring over the Quashqai+2/Dualis+ with more rear legroom, bigger boot, and 7 seats, then that’ll be a great option for those who need more space. It’ll need the 2.0l diesel to haul the extra weight though.
The reason it does not sell many was the tight rear legroom and tight boot space and hign price. They should built the dualis + in Thailand and it will be a huge success here. I bet it will have less rome than a Honda city at the back!!
I’m sure it will reach Nissan’s expectations, but I doubt it will be a huge seller. Where I live, there aren’t too many getting around that have been bought privately. The local Nissan dealer wipes most of their profit margin to sell big numbers to hire car companies, the only time I see a Micra, Tiida or Dualis on their yard is after a rental company has had it and then they sell in bulk.
I asked them once about an XR6 being ex-rental, as they had several in stock, and he spilled out some spiel about the cars were sold to a particular company under a buy-back agreement, and that the company has “12 dirty fingers in 12 dirty pies” (WTF?! a nice way of skirting around the question!) so I looked up the company on ASIC and Google and it turned out it was the company name for a Sydney Hertz centre.
I would find it hard to buy an ex-rental after watching a video on Youtube of a TL Magna being valve-bounced in neutral and smashed into drive several times.
Didn’t mean to offend you Fishman. Glad to here your happy with your Dualis. It does sound like they have priced them better in the market!
My question is what other vehicle would one look at in this price range, equivelent SUV?
Hi Frenchie – no offence, it was just your comments were very different to my experience as an owner of this car. The Sunderland factory that makes these is highly regarded for the build quality of it’s vehicles, and my experience has lived up to this.
The only other vehicles I think this competes with, and which we looked at, are the Peugeot 308 Touring, and the Hyundai i30cw – compact wagons that offer a bit more boot space than a regular hatch (golf, focus, mazda3 etc). We find the boot space pretty good and more generous than the above cars, as the picture in this article shows. I wouldn’t compare this to other compact SUV’s as it’s aimed (and now priced) at a different market – those who want hatchback economy not a thirsty SUV.
If the i30CW had been available at the time we would have bought this as we had no need for an AWD. Although it’s looks are debatable the 308 is a good package, but more $$$’s. We got a cracking deal on the Dualis ST option ($27k driveaway) and have been extremely happy with it.
Dodge Caliber?
why the hell doesn’t nissan just make a GOOD LOOKING small medium car(eg mazda3,cruse,vw golf etc)get rid off the tiida and 2wd dualis,and MAKE some money instead?(oh thats right,its nissan…)
Wouldn’t you just love to have bought one at the old price yesterday.
Are Dualis owners happy with their instant $6000+ depreciation?
No, I think the $6000 saving is the new FWD model compared to the AWD model
A 2wd/4wd quasi – high riding – hatchback/SUV for inner city commuters who dont need a 4wd. Well after driving one, I can tell you its a car which is jack-of-all trades and master of none!
Nissan should have tried harder to look more like a hatch, everytime I see one, I’m not buying the idea that its a hatch at all, FWD or not. Suzuki did a lot better with the SX4, I think they got the right combo between hatch and 4WD in relation to its appearance.
Built in Britain? No thanks…
Dont no what ya missin till ya driven in a nissin, and that goes for this model as well, fuel consumption was terible 12l/100 highway, 15l av around town, and it only has 12073 on the speedo, just like the navara D40 wish I had not bought it at the same time, would have saved me a lot of heart ache, nope mr nissan I wont be bitten a second time around, two vehicles and both duds.
Haha, Nissan did the same thing 10 years ago when they dropped the price of the Pulsar SSS N15 S2 by $6000 overnight.
I ended up buying one at the time.
More car makers should see the writing on the wall.
Hint hint, Honda with the Civic Si hatch, $40K, they are dreaming
Nothanks, I suppose you want have a Rolls Royce or a Bentley then either?
Myke, the entire point of this car is that it doesn’t look like a hatchback.
JEKYL & HYDE, Nissan are making money off of it, just not in Australia right now. It sells well in Europe and considering that it only became good value yesterday, I don’t know how you can estimate that it won’t make them money here either.
It is a good car, but i would rather have a renault koleos… The interior is just so much better and it is really cheap in comparison to europe (yes i know it comes from korea, but it isnt anything like a korean car… Thanks to Samsung…)
I just dont understand how this little, gutless car uses more fuel than a Falcon. How do I know? Ive rented them both over the last week!
Here we go we another useless soft roader.I would rather have a Impreza or Suzuki SX4, this thing has absolutely no personality.
To no thanks,how is ignorance treating you? Is it really bliss like the saying goes ?
Where is it that you would like a car to be built then ? Please dont say Australia as your credibility is already low.
Go on mate, please answer the question, maybe we could have a serious debate about it rather than just slagging things off.
Have you visited Britain, have you driven a British built car, do you know which cars are built in Britain ???
Look forward to your reply soon pal.
alex,
yes,the quasqai(hope i got that right) is a cashcow,but the dualis is a,well,nothing much here,and to own one is to live with RATTLES…
It seems no one on here have any clues about cars which is why they always go home with a dud.
If its made in Britain so what? I reckon a lot you guys have never driven a British car and see how much better it is in terms of quality compared to the Japanese built ones.
Nissan Dealers have been waiting over a year to have the 2WD version to be realesed in Australia.
But surprisingly the price is not what we were expecting for an ST Manual. We were expecting it to start in the low 20k mark which is what we were told last year.
For those banging on about build quality and RATTLES, have a read of this:
http://www.carpages.co.uk/niss.....-06-09.asp
Rates higher than the golf, civic, mazda3, focus & astra in owner satisfaction.
I’d value an owners opinion more than some of the comments here…
the interior reminds me of the Tiida which is renown for being crap
too bad they couldn’t make it RWD instead of FWD… and besides aren’t really 4wds not far away in price?
NOT A BAD CAR but I don’t need something like this.Is it worth an extra seven grand over a Tiida keeping with Nissan.If I won the lottery I would do up my Tiida at once and get one of these
A colleague had one of these as a company motor in the UK and was extremely pleased with it. Certainly the interior finish is no Audi though.
>Built in Britain? No thanks…
Yes look at all those dismal and poor quality cars that the Brits build. Jag, Range Rover, Aston, etc. The UK factory where the Dualis is built is Nissan’s most efficient plant WORLDWIDE with the lowest number of faults per vehicle. Fact. Various Hondas and Toyotas are built in the UK as well.
Currently own a Qashqai ( Dualis ) in the UK. It’s a 1.6 litre petrol front wheel drive which is the best seller over here. To date the Qashqai has been utterly reliable, and the ownership experience painless.
I test drove the latest Mk 6 Golf before deciding on the Qashqai, the Golf was well built , the ergonomics sound , but it just looked really dull and dated for a new model. The QQ has real road presence when viewed against the Focus , Golf, Astra set, making them look bland and unadventurous.
It is also managing to attract affluent people who previously would have automatically gone for a Golf. I’ve spotted loads around these “affluent” areas of London.
Great car that does all you require with extra character and style thrown in!
Stuart, I know what you mean about it looking a little more interesting than the competition. I like the Golf more, but I will fully admit that the styling is more about being agreeable and handsome than even slightly adventurous (excluding the GTI – it stands out and looks excellent).
I don’t think the Qashqai is very interesting, but in a land where the Focus rules, it’s a bit hard not to stand out in whatever car you buy.
I’d like to see Nissan pull of a hot hatch version. They have AWD at their disposal and it would ring home the fact that this is a car aimed at the hatchback market and not the compact SUV one.
You’re also right about more affluent people buying them. I’ve seen a few top of the range ones around my house in West London. They look best with big wheels and metallic paint.
Hi,
I have recently bought the 4WD Dualis ST OPtion Pack (picked up at end of April 2009)…It’s very disappointing to see the price of the car slashed by Nissan, it doesn’t make me feel all that warm and fuzzy come trade in time.
However, as a car, I couldn’t be any happier with it. The build quality is good, the car is quiet and comfortable and I don’t feel it is underpowered (ok, maybe a little bit when going up big hills). I have taken if off road (bush tracks and fire trails) and it did quiet well. Yes, it is not a typical 4WD but it does more things and at times better than my previous Focus Zetec.
i just bought a new 2WD ST CVT, if you really want to get a nice price, try neg at the month end, i just pay 14K plus trade-in my car only worth “11K” mention in redbook.com.
if they just simply told people the price is Corolla, I think people will really “shift”
very nice car
2010 Nissan Dualis Ti – 2wd – Auto- Blade Silver
Delivered: January, 2010
URBAN X
For my purposes as an urban dweller, the Dulalis is perfect. I have no need for AWD/4WD and if I did,my target would have been an all together different car.
The Dualis is roomy, buid quality excellent,first class safety and the CVT in action amazing.
SUV/Hatch – doesn’t matter – it’s an Urban Gorilla going ably going about its business.
PS: Only complaint – Nissan, why is there no sunglass holder built into the overhead? Silly and annoying ommission. I have added one myself.
I commute over 130ks per day and enjoy every kilometer in the Dualis. I should say I would not have considered the Dulais AWD at the previous price point – way off the mark – but the re-jigged line-up and pricing got me in.