2019 Nissan Qashqai – Automotive Review
With virtually identical safety features, front ends, and interiors, it would almost make more sense to go with the Rogue for the more appealing style, space, and engine. Pricing isn’t very far off from the two also. So, why did Nissan green light the mass production of a car that is virtually identical to a vehicle they’ve already perfected? An even better question is: Why are people buying it?
Coming in at a whole foot and an inch shorter than the Rogue, the Qashqai will fit five average-sized people very comfortably. The styling is best described as a “Toned down version of the Rogue.” How many times will I mention the Rogue in this article? Keep reading to find out. The front and rear end are very alike. The side profile is when you see the subtle difference in the shapes. The Qashqai takes a sloping roof design and the hood is noticeably shorter.
The Nissan Safety Shield 360 and the ProPILOT Assist keep you in your lane and away from the careless drivers out there. The Safety Shield 360 includes the Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Rear Intelligent Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and High Beam Assist. On the inside, dead center between your RPMs and your speed, all of these safety features are displayed for your viewing pleasure (and safety of course). The 7.0” touch screen infotainment system is smooth and intuitive, and the nine-speaker Bose sound system is impressive. The Around View Cameras are displayed on this 7.0” screen but the resolution is a tad suspect. This isn’t just a Nissan issue, but a large group of cars and manufacturers in 2019 still have low-resolution cameras as back-up and around view cameras and its quite annoying. The dash and interior are identical to the Rogue with the glossy black accents and a nice, soft, and sporty designed steering wheel. And, the seats are comfortable as all get out. The leather is soft and whatever is under it is even softer.
The Qashqai runs a 2.0L 4-cylinder, 141hp engine. 4-wheel Independent strut suspension is the culprit of the smooth ride and somewhat “darty” steering. The CVTC (Continuously Variable Timing Control) is rough. It works the way it should, but the drone of any CVT is something I don’t think I will get used to. Just like every other CVT, when slowly letting off the gas, the weird surge of power shows up. It sure is fuel efficient though, with fuel economy ratings estimated at 8.1 L/100 km highway and 10.0 L/100 km city. Better than the already very fuel-efficient Rogue. The Qashqai comes in an Xtronic Transmission or a six-speed manual in the FWD models. It’s a competent car for the weekend go-getters.
The Nissan Rogue and the Nissan Qashqai (Rogue Sport in the US) have many similarities. In every aspect of the car, you can find a handful and more similarities, but the Qashqai has its own personality. It seems to stray away from the “perfect family” vehicle and cruise in the lane of “adventure seeker.” It has more space in all the right places to hold your weekend activities, but it also brings you the convenience and modern styling of any new car on the market, all while not breaking the bank. It comes in 3 trims and there are plenty of balloon-like colors to choose from
Key Features:
- 2.0L 4-cylinder
- Horsepower 141 @ 6,000 rpm
- Torque (lb-ft) 147 @ 4,400 rpm
- Fuel Economy
- Xtronic AWD City/highway/combined 9.1/7.6/8.4 L/100km
- Xtronic FWD City/highway/combined 8.6/7.2/8.0 L/100km
- 6 MT FWD City/highway/combined 10.1/8.1/9.2 L/100km
- Available AWD
- 5 passenger
- Cargo w/2nd row seat folded down (S 61.1) (SV/SL 53.3) cubic feet
- Cargo w/2nd row seat upright (S 22.9) (SV/SL 20) cubic feet
- 7″ multi touch NissanConnect® featuring Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™
- Optional Bose® Audio System with 9 speaker
