Best for: All-round ability
Right up until the end of its lifecycle, the old Qashqai stayed doggedly at the sharp end of the sales charts in this class, and so with its new, lighter chassis, more commodious dimensions and much-improved dynamics, you’d expect this new third-generation model to hit the ground running. And for the most part, it does.
There’s little here for keen drivers, and both the 1.3-litre mild-hybrid petrol and novel e-Power hybrid are a little breathless, but what did you expect?
Performance and handling aren’t what the Qashqai is about and, as one tester put it, “it’s very thoughtfully designed for families, well equipped and costs peanuts to buy and run”. If you must have a two-pedal version, we’d go for the hybrid, rather than the wheezy CVT petrol.
The interior doesn’t look as jazzy as some, but the materials are pleasing, it’s solidly built and it’s very easy to use, thanks to plenty of real buttons.
All early Qashqais had a multimedia system that was easy enough to use but looked slightly dated. About two years in, higher trims got a new system that retains all the usability but looks a lot nicer.
A game-changing effort? Not any more, but it’s a demonstration that Nissan knows its customers extremely well. It’s difficult to beat among the non-premium ranks.
