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Nissan: Still leading the way in crossover sector

Question: What connects Paddington in deepest London, Cranfield in rural Buckinghamshire and Sunderland in the far north of England?

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The answer is one of the biggest success stories in modern motoring, in the shape of the Nissan Qashqai, a car that almost by itself started a new trend for cars that look tall and tough but are as easy to park as a hatchback and about as economical to run.

Since the first one rolled off the production line in Sunderland in 2007 more than 1,700,000 have been built, with most helping bulk out the UK's precarious trade imbalance with the rest of Europe.

Taking the pressure from what the pop industry calls 'that second, difficult album', the team at Nissan's European design centre in Paddington did what all the research was telling them.

Existing Qashqai owners loved their cars but wouldn't mind a bit more style, a dash of extra technology and, please, keep a tight rein on running costs.

So the new Qashqai looks like an entirely logical development of the first car; a little lower, wider and longer than before, and a touch lighter too, to the benefit of interior room, luggage space and economy.

Allied to upgraded petrol and diesel engines, this sharper-suited Qashqai now slips below the road tax barrier in its most frugal version, and all the rest use less fuel than before.

For the way it feels on the road we have the 1,000-strong team at Nissan's technical centre in Cranfield to thank. And what a fine job they've done.

Qashqai customers told the Nissan pollsters they didn't want a Golf GTI, thank you, but something that made them feel confident to drive. That translates into a car with more than adequate performance and a solid stance on the road. And a commanding driving position was a must.

That applies to every car in the new range, which stretches from a 1.2-litre petrol model at £17,595 to a bells and whistles four-wheel drive with a 1.6-litre diesel and £27,845 price tag.

It applies, perhaps especially, to the Qashqai with the little petrol power plant. It replaces the thirstier, more polluting 1.6-litre unit of the old car and, thanks to a turbocharger boosting low down pulling power, never feels lacking in get up and go.

It's expected to take a solid slug of sales, vying with the 1.5-litre diesel for private buyers.

Both are expected to be worth a lot more, up to £2,800, after three years than the first Qashqais. That's an oft forgotten figure when motorists tot up the cost of mobility.

Along some typically deserted Spanish roads at the car's press launch, the 1.2 Qashqai rode with firm control and did not sound any less hushed at a motorway 80mph than tootling around the outskirts of Madrid. It showed 34mpg on the trip computer at journey's end.

The car outlined here is in top of the range Tekna trim, which comes loaded with goodies like big 19in alloy wheels, which do nothing for the ride, LED headlamps, full leather seats, with electric adjustment for the driver, heated windscreen, parking assist and front and rear cameras.

It also enjoys a suite of safety aids like blind spot monitor, around view monitor and front collision avoidance, which helps you brake if it detects an object too close for comfort up ahead.

By Ian Donaldson

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