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Southern Iran is home to the Qashqai, a
nomadic people famous for their great skill at crafts. These
qualities suggested to the managers at Nissan to give that
name to their replacement for the Almera, as a car for young
“urban nomads”. Presented at the Paris Autoshow in 2006, it
revolutionized the C segment, offering a well-balanced
compromise between practicality, comfort, driving pleasure
and sustainable costs. It was an innovative combination and
an immediate success: a million cars sold in four and a half
years. We tested the 1.6 Acenta
version with front-wheel drive and LPG fuel system developed
by MG Motor Gas. What is most attractive about
this car is the unusual crossover line with
well-proportioned volumes created by the flowing silhouette
of the upper part and the imposing lower section with
outlines typical of an SUV. The result is a pleasing,
efficient aspect, emphasized by the Cx 0.33. The
measurements, 433 cm length, 178 cm width and 161 cm height,
ensure agility in the city and adequate space for
comfortable travel: there is plenty of room for the
passengers and a 382 liter baggage compartment that
increases to 1,513 with the back seats down. These are not
record values for the category, but nothing is lost after
the conversion to gas, which occupies only the space beneath
the loading platform with a tank that holds 42 liters for an
effective autonomy of over 550 km, with the rapid tire
repair kit.
The driver’s seat is roomy and comfortable
with lateral containment of the seat, adjustable height and
adjustable tilt of the backrest. The raised position of the
seat facilitates access and visibility, except toward the
rear, which is aided by the parking sensors.
The finish and
materials are of good quality, the instrumentation is easily
legible and the arrangement of the commands is practical;
the gas level indicator/switch at the base of the central
console is clearly visible and easy to reach 4
cylinder 1.6 liter, 117 cv, 158 Nm maximum torque,
and goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 11.9” with a maximum speed of
181 km/h. This range is more than enough for everyday
driving and motorway driving in full comfort, except for
those who enjoy a racier drive: the Qashqai is designed for
relaxed travel and not for racing. This is confirmed by the
steering which is electrically assisted, accurate but a
little “soft” at high speeds, and the calibration of
suspension is also soft, to absorb any roughness in the
asphalt ensuring a high level of comfort to the passengers.
It holds the road well, however, despite the inevitable sway
reported in the mixed tight curves due to the high center of
gravity and cushioned shock absorbers. Active safety is
ensured by the electronic devices that act on the wheels to
guarantee adequate stability. Other positive aspects are the
silence, easy handle and precision 5-speed gearshift as well
as the efficiency of the braking system, always powerful and
rapid with reduced braking space. The high passive safety is
confirmed by the 5 stars of the EuroNcap crash test.
The ratings do not change when the vehicle is fueled with
LPG, thanks to the Neweco kit DR5
of MG Motor Gas: only 2 cv of power are lost, which is too
little to alter the dynamic of the Nissan crossover. The
only observable differences are slight increases in the
acceleration and uptake during sports driving, a few
hundredths that are offset by the clear increase in the
ecological and economic advantages. The former show a marked
reduction, with greenhouse gasses dropping by about 10%
(from 144 to 130 g/km) and pollutants almost eliminated. The
latter benefit from the lower price at the pump of gas,
which cuts expenses by over 50%. Considering the official
values (average gasoline consumption of 6.2 l/100 km and 7.4
l/100 km with LPG) and the current fuel prices (gasoline at
1.74 euro/l and LPG at 0.74), the cost per kilometer falls
from 0.108 to 0.048. It is a significant difference and the
expense of transformation (1,200 euro) is made up in just
20,000 km. The Acenta with MG Motor
Gas, priced at 23,190 euro (21,990 list price
plus conversion) is more economical than the official
bi-fuel version (Eco Acenta, sold at 23,990 euro) and the
diesel version of the same model, the 1.5 dCi with 110 cv,
sold at 23,840 euro and with a cost per kilometer estimated
at 0.842 euro. Acenta is the second level of model of the
Qashqai range with a good level of standard features
including six airbags, dual-zone air conditioning, controls
on the steering wheel, refrigerated baggage compartment,
onboard computer, 17” alloy rimes and foglight. For those
who wish to spend less there is the Visia (19,160 euro),
while those who need more equipment can opt for the versions
n-tec or Tekna priced up to 25,490.
(Ecomobile NR.102 July-August 2012)
Stefano Panzeri
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