Called the Rogue Sport in the U.S., the Qashqai retains its European name in Canada

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

All-new to the Canadian market The Nissan Qashqai is a new entry to the subcompact crossover segment in Canada, set to take on such established players as the Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade and Mazda CX-3. By David Miller ▲

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

In its second-generation elsewhere The Qashqai is in its second-generation elsewhere, however. The current model was introduced in 2014 – the first in 2007. In Europe, it’s become one of the best-selling SUV/crossover vehicles selling 2.5 million units since inception, and 3 million total globally. ▲

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

Why here and now? With booming sales in the crossover market, it only made sense for Nissan to bring an already successful crossover to the North American market. Nissan Canada see similar growth opportunities in the subcompact crossover segment, where the segment has gained market share in Canada over the last few years. ▲

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

Filling the void The Qashqai slots in as the conventional entry-level crossover for the brand, even though its sits between the Juke and Rogue. Nissan Canada considers the Juke more of a niche model. The Qashqai will compete against the Mazda CX-3, Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade, Subaru Crosstrek, Chevrolet Trax and Toyota C-HR. ▲

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

What’s with the name – Qashqai? In Canada, the new entry will retain its global name, Qashqai, but in the United States it will the  Rogue Sport. Nissan USA changed the name because it felt Qashqai would be hard to pronounce, and therefore sell. If you’re wondering what it means, the only information on record is that Qashqai is the name of a nomadic tribe that lived in a remote, mountain region that is now Iran. ▲

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

Similar appearance to the Rogue While it is clearly smaller than the Rogue, the Qashqai’s front appearance doesn’t appear much different. A lot of Nissan signature touches have been incorporated, including the V-Motion grille, swept-back headlights and boomerang-shaped taillights. It does have a sleek, thinner grille that runs horizontally below its hood. To my eyes, however, its rather dull circular fog lights – which become available in the SV trim – detract from its more sporty look. ▲

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

How it compares to the Rogue There will be some cross-shopping between the Qashqai and Rogue, especially when buyers start going up trim levels in this new subcompact. The biggest difference is in length where the Qashqai totals 4,380 mm – 250 mm shorter than the Rogue. It’s also 98 mm lower and 60 mm shorter in wheelbase as well as marginally narrower, by just 2 mm. ▲

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

Comfortable seating For our first drive we were treated to a top-of-the-line SL Platinum trim model that was decked out with soft leather throughout, including its flat-bottomed steering wheel. It won’t come with leather further down the trim line, but these seats provided comfort and plenty of headroom. The extra height adds more visibility and ride height from what would be found in a hatchback. Among other things, lesser trim models will come with manual seat adjustment. ▲

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

Surprisingly spacious rear seating My expectations for rear-seat headroom and legroom were modest, so it was surprising to find ample space for at least two adults in a 60/40 rear split. But the Qashqai sacrifices cargo space in order to keep back row passengers comfortable. ▲

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

Don’t plan to pack a lot of luggage As vehicles get smaller, there have to be some tradeoffs, and they are found in the Qashqai’s cargo area. When the rear seats are folded flat, it offers up 1,730 litres of cargo space, but only 643 litres with the seats up. In comparison, the Rogue offers 1,982 and 1,113 litres, respectively. ▲

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

Key standard features All Qashqais will come with heated front seats, a rear view camera and Siri Eyes Free for calls and texts – compatible only with Siri-equipped iPhones. ▲

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

Safety technologies Many of the available safety technologies such as Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Intelligent Lane Intervention and Blind Spot Warning are found only in the SL Platinum trim. One step below, however, the Qashqai stiil includes an Intelligent Around View Monitor that uses four cameras to provide a 360-degree view around the vehicle – perfect for parking. ▲

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

Just one engine choice There is a diesel option overseas, but for now, Nissan is bringing in only one engine for Canada. The little crossover will be powered by a 2.0-litre inline-four that produces 141 hp and 147 lb-ft of torque, matched to either a six-speed manual transmission (offered only in the base S trim) or its Xtronic continuously variable transmission (CVT). Front-wheel-drive is standard and all-wheel-drive is available on the lower trims and standard in the SL model and above. ▲

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

Smooth and reasonably quiet The ride was smooth and relaxing around in out tour around Nashville. The Qashqai gets up to speed quickly, despite a little noise from its CVT. Other than that, the drive was calm and stable without much road noise. ▲

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

Steering not a strong point Many vehicles require some driver adjustment to adapt to their specific characteristics. In the case of the Qashqai, it seemed that a lot of steering was needed for simple driving maneuvers, such as the sweeping rights we encountered on the smooth Tennessee country roads. Steering responsiveness was on the slow side, especially compared to the quick reactions of competitors like the Mazda CX-3. ▲

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

Impressive fuel economy The CVT assists in providing reasonable fuel consumption numbers for the Qashqai. For the front-wheel-drive versions, the official ratings are 8.8 L/100 km in the city and 7.3 L/100 km on the highway. With the manual transmission they are 10.0 and 8.1. With all-wheel-drive the ratings are 9.1 L/100 km in the city and 7.5 L/100 km on the highway. ▲

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

The price is right Nissan joins a small subcompact crossover group with prices starting under the $20K mark. The manual S trim model begins at $19,998 and the S CVT at $21,998. The price tops out at $32,198 for the SL Platinum. ▲

first drive: new-to-canada nissan qashqai

Coming to dealers soon The 2017 Nissan Qashqai will arrive at Canadian dealerships in June. ▲

Keyword: First Drive: New-to-Canada Nissan Qashqai

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