2014 Nissan Qashqai ST manual review
Vehicle Style: Small SUV
Price: $25,850 (plus on-roads)
Engine/trans: 106kW/200Nm 2.0 petrol 4cyl | 6 spd manual
Fuel Economy claimed: 7.7 l/100km | tested: 8.9 l/100km
OVERVIEW
Nissan is no stranger to SUVs. It's got seven separate models currently on offer in Australia, more available overseas and the potential for additions (like the Navara-based wagon) to arrive on these shores.
While some manufacturers have been a bit slower to arrive at the compact SUV party, Nissan is a familiar face, with both the tiny Juke and slightly larger (former) Dualis in attendance.
But now, the Qashqai is ready to take its turn - stepping in for the Dualis (it's the new generation of the same product).
This time the Qashqai takes the strengths of the Dualis, and adds a healthy dose of refinement and style.
The Qashqai also takes some of the product confusion out of the wider range by offering only five seats and front wheel drive, leaving the bigger X-trail as the AWD or seven-seat option.
Is there room in the range for the Qashqai? We think so, and after a week in the entry-level Qashqai ST we discovered some very affable qualities.
THE INTERIOR | RATING: 4/5
- Cloth seat trim, leather steering wheel and gear knob.
- Infotainment: 4-speaker AM/FM/CD audio with 5-inch colour display, USB audio input, iPod compatibility, Bluetooth and NissanConnect smartphone interface with Pandora, Facebook and Google search apps.
- Standard features: reverse camera, manual air conditioning, cruise control, multi-function trip computer.
- Boot capacity - 430 litres seats up, 1585 litres seats down.
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