Test drive Nissan Qashqai 2007 - 2010 SUV

The tribe of the wanderer

The name of this car Qashqai can be ironic as a long and inventively. But I am sure that Nissan will not laugh competitors.
Changes are in the air, Carlos Tavares, Vice President of Nissan Motor, is sure, is sure for the issues of product planning and strategy. We need something completely new, completely unusual. And thanks to the Nissan Qashqai model, this something special appeared. You will never have to sit behind the wheel of a boring car again, he says.
How to create a boring car that most will like? Nissan believes that they know the answer to this question. Circumstances force to stand out. Nissan affairs in the market of Japan are far from the best way. The company is looking for chances in the world arena and is trying to build a new story of the brand, using an original approach to the formation of a lineup.
In the mass class with Nissan in Europe, the positions are about the same as in Japan. Recently discontinued hatchbacks and ALMERA sedan were successful only in England and Russia. In other markets, they noticeably lost to classmates. So why beat your forehead against the wall, trying to fight competitors with their own weapons? Nissan preferred a point effect, considering that it is better to break the class into small niches and perform in each of them with a product that has a targeted orientation.
 
Perhaps the first extra -class car created in accordance with this concept was the Nissan Note almost a single -collar, a compact on the outside and a spacious inside a family car, characterized by good handling. The second product of this strategy is the compact crossover Nissan Qashqai. A typical city car with a high landing of the driver and all -wheel drive.
This is not to say that Nissan was the first to pay attention to this niche. In my opinion, an almost complete ideological analogue of Qashqai is Honda HR-V. However, she was somewhat ahead of her time, the demand for her did not live up to expectations, and today she is not released. We noticed this niche in Volkswagen, offering the pseudo-car councils on the basis of golf class cars: Cross Golf, Cross Touran, Skoda Roomster Scout. These models have a large clearance, a plastic body kit, but do not have a feature of any crossover all -wheel drive. Qashqai in all -wheel drive. It is interesting that this is the first European car created on the new platform from the Nissan Renault alliance. Why European, because Nissan is a Japanese brand? Because the design of the car was developed in the Nissan London studio, the design was brought in the engineer center in Cranfield, and the car itself is assembled at the Nissan factory in Sanderland. A curious detail: at the presentation of the model for journalists in Barcelona, \u200b\u200bI never noticed a single Japanese representative.
He laughs
The appearance of the car evoked conflicting feelings. On the one hand, it does not have a single annoying detail. On the other hand, there is nothing to cling to. The appearance is harmonious, but not a fair. Qashqai is trying to look athletic and toned, and he turns out: a smooth roof line like a compartment, a strongly tilted front front desk, a characteristic spoiler on the door of the trunk, designers managed to combine the traditional appearance of the hatchback with the features of the SUV. If you look at Qashqai in the profile, below the waist line it looks quite SUV, a large road clearance, plastic body kit, aggressive wheel arches and everything that is higher is made in the style of a traditional hatchback.
 
With the exception of the form of the third dull side window, which practically repeats the outlines of a similar part, for example, Mazda 3, in the appearance of Qashqai is difficult to find the exterior details familiar from other cars. The design director of the Nissan European Design Center Stefan Schwartz claims that his team was not at all in car design. According to him, the appearance of Qashqai is woven from ideas about cultures, food, fashion, art, technologies and other trends that influence modern life.
 
I agree, Qashqai, no doubt, is original in the sense that it does not copy other cars. Even with a related Murano model, he has only one or two common lines. But, in my opinion, he lacks the same originality if you invest in this definition of concepts such as brightness and attractiveness.
 
Inside Qashqai is hypoallergenic. Nothing annoying: the quality of materials, the level of assembly, the interior forms are almost impeccable. Everything is verified and suspended. Moderately solid. Moderately is not boring. The ergonomics of the driver’s place is almost perfect. High landing allows it is easier to maneuver in the city stream, while the driver does not feel like a bus or a large SUV.
 
All devices and controls are grouped around the steering wheel. Somewhat confuses not a very large supply of space above their heads, but people have no problems with a convenient planting with a convenient planting. Another small pickup: the steering wheel seemed to be overloaded with buttons. But if you have already gotten off to quickly send SMS from your mobile phone, then with the buttons on the Qashqai steering wheel you will figure it out without difficulty.
 
A big plus Qashqai is acoustic comfort. The irritating sounds of the engine, rustling tires and the noise of the raising air flow at high speeds do not penetrate the salon.
Qashqai is located between Class C and compact SUV dimensions. It takes about the same place on the road as Ford Focus. And if the wheelbase and width are approximately equal to competitors, then Qashqai is almost 100 mm in length exceeds a typical car of class C, but 150 mm less than a typical compact SUV. Moreover, it is 100150 mm higher than the average class of class C.
 
The compact dimensions of the car allow you to comfortably move around the city. But do not wait for Qashqai in the cabin from Qashqai. The driver and front passenger feel comfortable, but on the back seats you do not take a walk around the knees interfere with the backs of the front seats. If you try to sit higher, your head will rush into the ceiling. So I would not call Qashqai a full -fledged family car. For distant travels, family trips to the country and shopping trips, I would prefer another branch of the traditional class with compact -like Opel Zafira.
 
Qashqai was by no means created as an SUV and should not be perceived by such. Yes, it has a large clearance of 200 mm, the angles of entry and the exit are 19.2 and 30.2 it is better than that of any class C and comparable to compact SUV. But even all -wheel drive is attached to it rather as an option, and not as an obligatory attribute. According to Nissan managers, in Europe only 30% Qashqai will be sold in an all -wheel drive version, while in Russia the percentage of all -wheel drive Qashqai will be overwhelming. The all-wheel drive system on this city crossover is similar to the one that is already used on X-Trail, Murano and Pathfinder. Under normal traffic conditions, the leading wheels are the front wheels, and when one of the wheels is slippage, the electronics using an automatic coupling installed in the rear bridge includes all -wheel drive.
 
The system provides for three operating modes that can be selected using the switch on the central console: front -wheel drive, Lock mode, in which the ratio of the front and rear wheels of the moment 50:50, and the most commonly used Auto mode. In automatic mode, the sensors connected to the engine control unit with all -wheel drive and the ABS controller are constantly monitoring the wheel slip and send a signal to the electromagnetic clutch located in front of the rear axle for the exact distribution of torque.
We did not succeed in trying the advantages of all-wheel drive on dry asphalt, but several winding sections of the road allowed us to form a more or less clear opinion about the running characteristics of Qashqai. It installed an electric power of the steering. Of course, it allows you to save almost 0.11 liters of fuel per 100 km, but at the same time practically deprives the driver of feedback with the car. Qashqai in conjunction of turns seemed somehow artificial. At the same time, there are no complaints about the suspension (in front of the type Mcpherson, multi -leafing behind). The car does not heal much in corners and does not peck the nose during braking. Demonstrates neutral rotation. The smoothness of the course is quite adequate: the car does not swing on the gentle waves of asphalt, while the passage of small irregularities does not cause discomfort. However, so beloved by many drivers that you are driving a car, and not him, at the wheel of Qashqai, unfortunately, does not arise.
 
Of the four two gasoline engines proposed for the model, the Nissan experts were developed under the leadership of the Nissan, and the Alliance partner company Renault was responsible for the development of two diesel engines (it is not planned to supply the diesel version of Qashqai to Russia).
 
The gasoline engine of the basic configuration was originally intended for Micra SR and Note models. For Qashqai, a motor with a block and a cylinder block from an aluminum alloy with a volume of 1598 cubic meters. cm was finalized. Its maximum power and torque were increased by 5 hp. and 3 nm and amount to 115 hp. and 156 Nm.
 
The new 2-liter engine of the lightweight design is already installed on cars manufactured for the Japanese market. This 16-valve engine also has aluminum corps elements, its volume of 1997 cubic meters. cm, power 140 hp, torque 196 Nm. About 90% of the maximum torque are available from 2000 rpm, which makes it possible to a sharp start characteristic of cars with more powerful engines.
 
I liked Qashqai with a 2-liter engine. The engine provides confident craving from the bottom, which is very convenient in the urban mode of movement, and when you make intense overtaking under the gas pedal, a power reserve is always felt. Versions with a gasoline 2-liter engine can be both with front and all-wheel drive. The choice is also offered a mechanical 6-speed gearbox or a stranded variator (CVT). The option with a 1.6 liter engine has only front-wheel drive and is equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission. I would venture to assume that most Qashqai in Russia will be sold with a machine gun. Unfortunately, for the first acquaintance, only cars with mechanics were provided to journalists, so we will test Qashqai with automatic transmission already in Russia.
Qashqai was created as an ideal car for the inhabitant of a modern metropolis. It turned out to be so: universal, something similar to the main item of the wardrobe of a resident of the big city of jeans. Fashionable, all -weather, suitable for both men and women, comfortable and relatively inexpensive. In Russia, the front-wheel drive modifications of Qashqai with a 1.6 liter engine will cost from 21900 to 23320 dollars, with 2-liter 2440031950 dollars. Full-wheel drive versions with a 2-liter engine will cost $ 268003450. As for the name Qashqai (Kashkai), this is the name of the nomadic tribe wandering around the desert in the neighborhood of the mountain range of the peel in southwestern Iran. Nissan Qashqai City Wanderer.
Technical characteristics Nissan Qashqai 1.6 2WD
Dimensions, mm 4315x1783x1606
Base, mm 2631
Front/back, mm 1540/1550
Diameter of the turn, m 10.6
Equipped mass, kg 1297/1392
Engine type gasoline 4-cylinder
Working volume, cubic meter. cm 1598
Max. Power, L.S./rpm 115/6000
Max. moment, nm/rpm 160/4400
Mechanical transmission 5-speed
Front drive
Max. Speed, km/h 178
Acceleration time 0-100 km, from 12
Fuel consumption (average), l/100 km 6.7
Tank volume, l 65

Igor Komarov
Photo of the manufacturer
 
 

A source: Avtopanorama magazine