The new 2018 Nissan Qashqai Acenta has arrived in South Africa and is armed with updated technology.
This crossover has become popular in the country and everyone is raring to drive one. Last week the Daily Dispatch team took the five-seater 1.5 dCi Acenta out for a full eight days.
Reviewing the mini-SUV that is taking South African streets by storm was a week of driving pleasure.
We challenged it on the rough and tough East London pot-holed roads and it took the beating well, with no sign of fatigue.
Keeping the test to short distances – the longest being a 150km stretch between East London and Tsholomnqa along the R72, combined with many shorter trips around the CBD and areas like Mdantsane, the diesel model sipped lightly on fuel and had consumed only half of its 65-litre tank in the eight days we had it.
It has a claimed fuel consumption of 4.2l/100km, which is something many will love to hear – especially with the fuel hikes due next week.
The vehicle is quiet to drive despite its diesel engine.
The interior of the Qashqai is impressive with a new D-shape steering wheel with all the controls just a finger-tip away.
It features one-touch electric windows which can now be opened and closed using the key fob.
Newly designed seats with tapered shoulders offer improved comfort and the touch-screen infotainment system features a new user interface.
Our test model was top of the range and had full leather seats as well as a seven-speaker Bose sound system.
The interior also includes an in-built GPS system and an adaptable around view monitor for an enhanced Qashqai driver experience when reversing.
It also has a load space of 430 litres which increases significantly – to 680 litres – with the 60:40 split rear seats folded flat.
Exterior wise the Qashqai has a new front bumper with a “look at me” grille. We found it easy to park in and reverse out of shopping centre parking spaces.
The boomerang-shaped daytime running LED lights gives the Qashqai a modern presence on par with other vehicles.
It also comes with high safety levels where you find six standard air-bags and braking technology. It also comes with a wide sunroof.
Designed to create a lasting impression, with high quality finishes and some of the best interior accessories in its class, the Nissan Qashqai is fully customisable.
According to Nissan, it has been rolling out its Intelligent Mobility (NIM) technology in South Africa.
The facelifted Qashqai is the latest model to receive a host of NIM features.
These include blind-spot warning, emergency braking, forward collision warning, the around view monitor, cross traffic alert and moving object detection.
New alloy wheel designs are offered in 17- and 19-inch sizes.
The new design features have resulted in the overall length growing by 17mm while the height and width remain unchanged.
The Qashqai is powered by a 1.2l turbo-petrol  engine with 85kW and 190Nm of torque with either a 6-speed manual transmission or continuously variable transmission (CVT) on offer.
Buyers can also opt for a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine with 81kW and 260Nm of torque.
Nissan Qashqai prices in South Africa as at January 2018, including VAT, are:..