SA Roadtests
South Africa
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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here probably applies to the models you can get at home.
*To read one of our road tests, just select from the menu on the left.
*Please remember too, that prices quoted were those ruling on the days I wrote the stories.
Published in The Witness Motoring on Wednesday June 30. 2010
John, my business school Marketing lecturer always said, “Features are absolutely useless to your clients. Translate them into benefits, then you will have something to sell.” So it turned out that a slightly ”what the blazes would I ever do with this?” feature of the Nissan Qashqai + 2 I drove recently, became rather useful, but more on that later.
Released to SA buyers in August 2007, Nissan’s Qashqai minivan has gone on to rack up over 5 500 sales in a fiercely competitive market swamped with almost 200 SUVs, MPVs, Crossovers and more of the same disguised behind manufacturers’ nomenclature designed to make you believe they have discovered new niches.
Actually, Qashqais occupy two sub-segments because while most are 4x2s, one diesel version offers four-wheel drive on demand. Enough; the +2 we drove was a 2,0-litre 4x2 Acenta petrol version with two additional seats in a third row, that fold away into the floor when not needed. So there we have it; feature – two more seats, benefit – Mom, Dad, three kids and two from next door can all go to the mall together. Isn’t Marketing wonderful?
Refreshed this past April with new bonnet, bumper, grille and headlamps at the front, brighter LED tail- and stop lamp clusters and a reshaped rear gate spoiler, plus a new drive computer and other interior refinements, the new Qashqai is quite a step up from the old one. Other goodies include footwell illumination and more stash spaces.
Body changes to improve aerodynamic efficiency include the reprofiled rear spoiler, additional underfloor panels and deflectors around front and rear wheels. Engine changes result in reduced internal friction and improved thermal and volumetric efficiency. Benefits? Improved fuel economy and more torque over a wider rev band. Noise levels have been reduced by means of a new multi-layer insulation material around the front bulkhead, an “acoustic” windscreen and improved window sealing to reduce wind noise around the “A” pillars.
Safety kit in the EuroNCAP5-compliant Qashqais includes ABS, EBD, six airbags, ISOFIX anchorages for child seats on the two outer chairs in the second row and a very robust frame. Two-litre models gain ESP, cruise control and roof rails.
To help accommodate the additional seats in the +2, wheelbase is extended by 135 mm and overall length by 211 mm. For extra headroom, the roofline has been lengthened and reprofiled toward the rear, adding 38 mm to overall height and 6- to 10 mm for front and second row occupants. By itself, this still means that the extra seats can really only be used by little people, but when they aren’t in use, the additional luggage space should allow an extra couple of suitcases.
Inside, one finds a driver’s seat with height adjustment, a single-CD and radio combination with Bluetooth phone connectivity, dual channel automatic air conditioner, power windows all ‘round, power mirrors that fold, a steering wheel that adjusts for height and reach, with sound and cruise controls on the boss, sturdy cloth upholstery, a decently-sized glove box and additional storage in the dash, the doors and in a central cubby that also hides the auxiliary input for portable music boxes.
Second row seats split 60/40 for longer loads or easy access to the third row. They also adjust fore and aft to afford more leg space to those sitting right at the back, although it must be said that adults in the second row would need these chairs adjusted fully back. The same could be said for seat back angle adjustment in the second row – the only positions available are “comfortable” and “too upright.”
Moving right to the back, the hatch door opens and closes easily and the loading sill should be accessible to most users. With the extra seats tumbled away, the boot is big, with a compartment covered by a loose carpeted board, right at the back. This houses the warning triangle in its orange plastic container and also provides a no-snoop zone for small valuables.
My problem was that it’s a bit narrow and not very big, hence the feeling of “what the blazes would I ever do with this?” It came into its own on a tour of the Midlands Meander; that odd narrow shape easily accommodates 14, or possibly a couple more, black plastic packets with herb plants bought at the local nursery. It also confines them just sufficiently to prevent them falling over and tipping potting soil all over the boot, so there’s your benefit. The spare is a space saver.
Driving the Qashqai is pleasant, with the 2,0 litre engine providing all the power a family needs for town and freeway driving. Steering is light and good visibility makes parking a breeze. Cruising at 120 in sixth (top) gear, the engine loafs along at just over 3 000 rpm.
Opinion? A competent and pleasant family bus with seating for both average broods and those comprising “yours, mine and ours,” provided they aren’t all big strapping teenagers yet.
The numbers
Price: R303 500
Engine: 1 997 cc inline four cylinder
Power: 102 kW at 5 200 rpm
Torque: 198 Nm at 4 400 rpm
Maximum speed: 192 km/h
Zero to 100 km/h: 10,7 seconds
Real world fuel consumption: about 10,0 l/100 km
Warranty: 3 years/100 000 km
Service plan: 3 years/90 000 km
This is a one-man show, which means that road test cars entrusted to me are driven only by me. Some reviewers hand test cars over to their partners to use as day-to-day transport and barely experience them for themselves.
What this means to you is that every car reviewed is given my own personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every car goes through real world testing; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I am based in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa. This is the central hub of the KZN Midlands farming community; the place farmers go to to buy their supplies and equipment, truck their goods to market, send their kids to school and go to kick back and relax.
So occasionally a cow, a goat or a horse may add a little local colour by finding its way into the story or one of the pictures. It's all part of the ambience!
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8