Friday 8th November 2013

PH-ish tech on UK's fave SUV

Ride-improving brakes and non-hateful CVT? Qashqai tech sparks our interest in the new one

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There's no getting away from the Nissan Qashqai when it's Britain's sixth best selling car. Hell, if you're from the north east, you probably even feel a bit of affection for the old crossover given that around 90 percent of the 2 million that have sold worldwide since 2007 have been made in Sunderland.

Nissan is promising a lot with new CVT tech

Now Nissan has unveiled the new one, on sale early Feb, and we must admit, it's quite a handsome thing if you're in the market for something that's like a Golf, but not a Golf.

We went along to have a look and were quite impressed by a some of the technology improvements. It comes standard with intelligent braking that'll give a kind of torque vectoring function by pinching the inner brake disc to better help it round corners.

That's not new, but the Qashqai also has something Nissan calls Active Ride Control. As one of the lead test engineers, Peter Brown, told us, this uses the brakes to "settle" the car over larger bumps. "It applies them subtly to take out some of the movement, so it feels like it's better damped," he told us. Both this and the corner brake pinching is a function of the Bosch ABS electronics, into which Nissan has plugged its own box of tricks.

Brown reckons the changes make the Qashqai "the best ride and handling crossover out there", but admits the Golf still has the edge because of the Qashqai's higher centre of gravity.

Second-gen Qashqai has a hard act to follow

Also interesting is the new Xtronic CVT gearbox available (for now) just on the 1.6-litre diesel. CVTs (continuously variable transmissions) should be the best kind of autos because the infinite ratios mean they're always in the right gear for the best performance and economy.

In reality they can feel horrible because of what Brown calls the 'rubber band' effect when you accelerate hard. "It feels like there is a disconnect between engine-speed and the actual driving," he says.

Nissan's solution is to keep the smooth CVT feel in town, where Brown reckons they win over conventional autos and often jerky twin-clutch DSGs, but the program the CVT to mimic those two on harder acceleration by kicking down and appearing to hold onto ratios. As others have done with CVTs, in sport mode, you can move the gearlever between seven fixed ratios.

Peugeot might be close to solving the lurching automated manual issues by filling in the torque gaps with electric power, now let's hope Nissan has rescued the CVT.

Other info about the new Qashqai - it kicks off with a 115hp 1.2 four cylinder turbo petrol replacing the old 1.6, followed by a 1.5 diesel with CO2 emissions of 99g/km, then a 1.6 diesel with 130hp and a 150hp 1.6 petrol turbo that Nissan reckons will still do 50mpg. No prices given yet but it's likely to start around £17,000.

[dukebox9reg]

I really cant stand these CVT boxes. Tried a 4WD Juke DIGT with the CVT. The 'programmed steps' are just ste.

Please stick the dual clutch in from Renault. At least they have stuck the clios/jukes engine in it though

[Andy ap]

Thats a Tiguan!

[graham22]

Wonder what percentage of these are actually bought by normal purchasers rather than via motobility?

Will Doris with the dodgy hip really notice the difference in the auto box?

[DoctorX]

I quite like that new Qashqai.

[okie592]

Looks a lot like the x trail and the Kia 4x4. I like it a lot though. Better than the kuga

[dukebox9reg]

Makes the ASX look really dated now. Mitsubishi need to pull their finger out

[lewisf182]

Surely it looks most like the Mazda CX5 or whatever its called? infact the rear looks almost identical!

Previous qashqai didn't look too bad I thought and was certainly good value for money, cant see a problem with it myself and the new one looks to have improved significantly inside

Edited by lewisf182 on Friday 8th November 14:15

[Spyder5]

Nice looking car - I don't get the "Fake" SUV reference though

[tadaah]

Andy ap said:

Thats a Tiguan!

Well, in the sense that they both have four wheels.

I think it would have to try really hard to look any less like a Tiguan!!!!

[otolith]

Looks horrid. A CVT box designed to work more like an inefficient stepped gearbox. Technical overkill to try to make it ride and handle as if it isn't a stupidly over-tall idiocy.

[forzaminardi]

Looks quite handsome but I still can't get over the chip on my shoulder. If you want a smallish hatchback, buy a smallish hatchback, not a jacked-up pretend 4x4. Meh.

[RizzoTheRat]

forzaminardi said:

a jacked-up pretend 4x4.

My sister's got the current model and it's surprisingly competent at light offroading, lacks the suspension travel of less road biased 4x4's but works pretty well, easily as good as her previous Forester.

[GTEYE]

I wouldn't be surprised if the new one improved on 6th place.

Probably the best looking small/medium SUV IMHO, looks quite sharp and less bulky than most of this type.

Almost a hint of Saab & Seat about the front?

[seefarr]

PH said:

Brown reckons the changes make the Qashqai "the best ride and handling crossover out there", but admits the Golf still has the edge because of the Qashqai's higher centre of gravity.

So imagine how good it would be if it wasn't a pretend 4x4? It's compromised for styling reasons which equals fail.

[dukebox9reg]

seefarr said:

PH said:

Brown reckons the changes make the Qashqai "the best ride and handling crossover out there", but admits the Golf still has the edge because of the Qashqai's higher centre of gravity.

So imagine how good it would be if it wasn't a pretend 4x4? It's compromised for styling reasons which equals fail.

Why is it? Its fuel economy is on par with a Golf (insert other hatch names) and though it doesn't handle like a standard hatch the interior space and boot completely embarrasses a standard hatch. I think 410-420ltrs of the top of my head for the last cashcow.

Some people with kids will find it easier to put a car seat in and out of the back seats with the elevated position and the fact that it can take a corner at 60 rather than 70 isnt really a deal breaker.

I think if they make a 200bhp+ version with a proper auto I might be tempted.

[AudiWurst]

seefarr said:

So imagine how good it would be if it wasn't a pretend 4x4? It's compromised for styling reasons which equals fail massive sales.

FTFY

Lots of buyers want 4x4 looks and height. They don't care about 'Ring times or maximum speed bragging rights.

Nissan knows what its customers want. They took a gamble killing off the Almera and Primera to focus on 4x4s (both real and fake). The gamble has paid off very well in the UK and in Europe.

[dukebox9reg]

AudiWurst said:

seefarr said:

So imagine how good it would be if it wasn't a pretend 4x4? It's compromised for styling reasons which equals fail massive sales.

FTFY

Lots of buyers want 4x4 looks and height. They don't care about 'Ring times or maximum speed bragging rights.

Nissan knows what its customers want. They took a gamble killing off the Almera and Primera to focus on 4x4s (both real and fake). The gamble has paid off very well in the UK and in Europe.

And the fact that they have the money again now they are now looking at another Almera again which will no doubt have a quick (warm) version with the 1.6 DIG-T engine.

[nickfrog]

otolith said:

Technical overkill to try to make it ride and handle as if it isn't a stupidly over-tall idiocy.

forzaminardi said:

If you want a smallish hatchback, buy a smallish hatchback, not a jacked-up pretend 4x4. Meh.

seefarr said:

So imagine how good it would be if it wasn't a pretend 4x4? It's compromised for styling reasons which equals fail.

You're a bit harsh there guys. We have one essentially to transport kids and their stuff, sometimes up to 5 of them. The wife (and I) love it:

- because it's far easier to get the kids and their stuff in and out of than a conventional hatch.
- because the smallish wheels (17) and therefore tall tyres mean it's comfy and the wheels don't get systematically crunched against kerbs.
- it is cheap as chips to buy and run, certainly no more than an equivalent Golf but far far bigger / versatile / better equipped.
- the raised driving position is spot on in terms of visibility / sight / safety for the intended purpose.
- the high COG and its supposedly catastrophic consequences haven't been an issue yet in 2.5 years although I will confess not using all of the lateral grip on the shool run, unsurprisingly. I don't tend to do track days or Ring trip with it either. It's actually a very good handler, not just for a "fake 4wd".
- it's been utterly reliable despite constant abuse and 26,000 hard miles. Only needed 2 new front tyres, today actually.

Why on earth would we replace it by a Golf that can do NONE of the above as well ?

I will admit not caring about image or about what anyone else think of our choice of car, sorry.

Edited by nickfrog on Friday 8th November 15:07

[dukebox9reg]

nickfrog said:

You're a bit harsh there guys. We have one essentially to transport kids and their stuff, sometimes up to 5 of them. The wife (and I) love it:

- because it's far easier to get the kids and their stuff in and out of than a conventional hatch.
- because the smallish wheels (17) and therefore tall tyres mean it's comfy and the wheels don't get systematically crunched against kerbs.
- it is cheap as chips to buy and run, certainly no more than an equivalent Golf but far far bigger / versatile / better equipped.
- the raised driving position is spot on in terms of visibility / sight / safety for the intended purpose.
- the high COG and its supposedly catastrophic consequences haven't been an issue yet in 2.5 years although I will confess not using all of the lateral grip on the shool run, unsurprisingly. I don't tend to do track days or Ring trip with it either. It's actually a very good handler, not just for a "fake 4wd".
- it's been utterly reliable despite constant abuse and 26,000 hard miles. Only needed 2 new front tyres, today actually.

Why on earth would we replace it by a Golf that can do NONE of the above as well ?

I will admit not caring about image or about what anyone else think of our choice of car, sorry.

Edited by nickfrog on Friday 8th November 15:07

I actually had a look at getting an all singing all dancing one of these with the BOSE system etc but the slab fronted dash really put me off. I just couldn't see myself driving it with such a boring cheap feeling dash. Exactly why I didn't buy a Juke either, the plastics are even worse in that.

Went for a Countryman Cooper S in the end with the 4wd. Bit smaller than the Cashcow but at least the interior has something about it and the drivetrain is something to mention.

Would be seriously tempted by this new one though. Any decent interior pics floating about yet?

[DoctorX]

dukebox9reg said:

I actually had a look at getting an all singing all dancing one of these with the BOSE system etc but the slab fronted dash really put me off. I just couldn't see myself driving it with such a boring cheap feeling dash. Exactly why I didn't buy a Juke either, the plastics are even worse in that.

Went for a Countryman Cooper S in the end with the 4wd. Bit smaller than the Cashcow but at least the interior has something about it and the drivetrain is something to mention.

Would be seriously tempted by this new one though. Any decent interior pics floating about yet?

There's some here. Interior looks OK actually, quite un-Nissan like.
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/News/Nissan-Qashqai-2...