Anyone who is giving the Nissan Qashqai+2 a once-over will immediately notice the two extra seats at the back – the the most obvious difference over the “standard” Nissan Qashqai.
Unfortunately, this extra seating is not going to be of much practical use – unless you are either under 1.5m tall or if you have a long body and short legs. Thankfully though, the Qashqai+2 does have other, more useful, talents up its sleeve.
The All Mode 4×4 is an intelligent system with a choice of two-wheel drive and two four-wheel drive modes (Automatic and Lock), selectable via a simple twist of the knob located near the gear lever.
I found that the two-wheel-drive mode best suited for our roads as it places the least demand on the engine. But if you want the added assurance of four-wheel-drive as and when the road situation calls for it, then choose the automatic mode and let the system’s electronics do its work.
The punchy 2-litre engine is smooth with ample torque, and works well with the Xtronic CVT to make light work of most traffic situation.
Its suspension system, with dampers co-developed by Sachs, ensures that it tracks accurately. While the higher centre of gravity does contribute to more body roll, the car never feels unwieldy when speeds are kept sensible.
There are some who find glass roofs to be a useless option given how hot it gets here but you will find it hard to dislike the full-length one in the Qashqai+2.
It blocks out UV rays while bathing the cabin in natural light. If the heat really gets too much, there’s always the motorised shield to turn to and everything will be cool bananas once more.
The third-row seats in the Nissan Qashqai+2 are strictly for kids, as the seat squabs are nearly level with the floor.
Another trump card that the car has is its storage options. There are even roof rails for mounting racks for bicycles and other gear.
However, if you prefer to stow your stuff inside, the cabin is one of the roomiest in its class and its shows.
Its wheelbase measures 2765mm – 135mm longer than the Qashqai. Even with the glass roof, headroom is also boosted by the extra 36mm over the latter.
With the second and third row folded flat, there’s 1520 litres of space for haulage, more than enough for a few large boxes and even a couple of furniture items.
Elsewhere in the spacious cabin, the floor cover behind the third-row seats conceals a “secret” compartment.
The middle seatback of the second row can be flipped forward to act as an armrest, complete with cupholders and a 12-volt socket, or it can be kept vertical and used for storage for the third-row passengers.
The Qashqai+2 costs $8000 more than the Qashqai Premium (a higher spec five-seat Qashqai) and while this seems like a lot of money, it is worth digging deeper into your pockets.
Four-wheel-drive, full-length glass roof, roof rack, increased storage compartments and two extra seats. That’s a lot of stuff for just eight big ones.
Nissan Qashqai+2 2.0 (A)
ENGINE 1997cc, 16-valves, inline-4
MAX POWER 138bhp at 5200rpm
MAX TORQUE 196Nm at 4800rpm
GEARBOX CVT with 6-speed override
0-100KM/H 11.7 seconds
TOP SPEED 180km/h
CONSUMPTION 11.6km/L (combined)
PRICE INCL. COE $120,800 (as of August 2010)
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