When Nissan gave up on mainstream family cars such as the Almera and Primera, many thought the company had lost the plot. But Nissan knew what it was doing; its new British-built crossover offered an elevated driving position, a comfortable ride and decent interior packaging that its predecessors couldn't match, while a clever part-time four-wheel drive system kept fuel consumption to a minimum. The Qashqai quickly became Nissan's most popular model; now there's an all-new second edition, the original is even more of a bargain.
Key Dates
3/07: The Qashqai debuts, with 1.6 or 2.0 petrol engines or a 1.5 dCi diesel.
4/07: A 2.0 dCi is added to the range.
10/08: There's now a seven-seat Qashqai+2 option, with the same engine and trim options.
3/10: A facelifted Qashqai appears, with a 129g/km 1.5 dCi Puredrive option, a redesigned nose, revised dash and suspension plus extra soundproofing.
9/11: The 2.0 dCi is superseded by the cleaner, smoother, more refined 1.6 dCi.
Nissan Qashqai (2007-2013) Checklist
The front brake discs can wear within 20,000 miles.
The seal for the front windscreen can leak; look for rainwater in the footwells.
The wheel size makes a big difference to the ride; anything with 18" rims will be very crashy.
The fixings for the parcel shelf are fragile; some owners simply remove the shelf altogether.
The key fob for the remote locking can fail, because of poor contacts in the key or mobile phone interference.
Rattles from the rear suspension are common, along with premature failure of the rear shock absorbers.
We Like
Comfort
Handling
Equipment levels
Value
Choice
We Don't Like
Limited rear headroom
Dated dash
Poor rear visibility