NISSAN’S URBAN NOMAD IS A BRAVE MOVE Everyone gets to a stage in their life when they think “what the hell” and are compelled to do something entirely different. Sometimes it works, although not always as intended. For me it came as I approached 40. I had a perfectly good job on a regional newspaper where I could have seen out my days and drawn a good pension. But I also fancied having a dabble in television news and was earning quite well as a motoring writer. So on my way back from the TV studio one night, to grab a quick bite and then go on to the night job at the paper, I thought it was not the way to go on. My Range Rover stopped for the sixth time on the hard shoulder as a knackered fuel pump demanded another delicate bit of attention from a hammer and I decided it was time for radical change. So when I got home I typed a letter of resignation to the newspaper and took it to work with me. It had never happened before, but the editor was working late so I handed over the letter. It was the point of no return. The telly job didn’t last as new management for the news team brought an instant abrasive atmosphere between me and them. Faults on both, sides, of course, so I’m not blaming anyone. Motoring writing hit the doldrums as the recession around 1990 began to bite and I had gone from brilliant earner to basket case in 12 months. Things are better now. Business in the world of PR, to which I turned, is good and writing about cars, an ambition achieved by the time I was 18, is kind to me again. I hope things turn out as well for Nissan. The company has taken two good, if bland, cars and thrown them out. So there is no more Almera, no more Primera. In their place is the Qashqai, named after a nomadic tribe from the deserts of South Western Iran. Nissan must be hoping it doesn’t end up in the sales desert as the car it describes as its “urban nomad” hits the streets of Britain. It is sold as something unique, a cross between a compact SUV and MPV, but in the world of motoring unique does not exist. Some people make small cars, others big ones. For some its sports cars, others supercars. But none of them inhabits their own little world. The Qashqai is rather good at what it’s supposed to do, which is to offer a car the size of a Ford Focus that feels altogether bigger. When I served in the police, we had a diminutive senior officer who was affectionately known as Trophy, after the Whitbread pint that thought it was a quart. The Nissan follows the same general thinking. For those who would rather it was a gallon, there’s a longer version coming with up to seven seats based on the car sold in the United States. But for now the Qashqai is purely a five seater, and it’s not bad at the job, either. What’s more, it has achieved the best ever score in the EuroNCAP tests which means families will never feel safer. Two litre petrol and diesel versions come with the option of four wheel drive but forget that. We had the 1.5 dCi on test, fitted with the 105 bhp diesel from Nissan’s parent, Renault. It’s great for shifting this bulky car, as well it should be for VW uses a 1.9 litre engine of similar output in its identically sized Golf Plus and Seat Altea. The Qashqai’s motor works hard for its living, with the result it manages 47 mpg rather than the 50 plus a 1.9 litre VW would give. The trade-off is that the Nissan feels more refined and if you spend a long time at the wheel this is important and worth the loss of around 5 mpg. In Acenta trim, the Qashqai might seem a little expensive for a 1.5 litre diesel with its list price of £16,099. But there’s plenty of kit to compensate and it’s built to high standards in Sunderland so supports British jobs if you’re patriotic. Maurice Hardy Annette's View Take a look at the Austin A35 from the 50s and the Ford Anglia from the 60s and you realize that what once passed for family cars are these days minute. My Uncle Ted had an Austin 7 that carried Auntie Gwen and their four sons, too. If they had been travelling today, they would have thought the Nissan Qashqai to be heaven revealed, apart from the fact that one of them would always have to stay behind because there are not enough seat belts to go round. Squashing your kids in these days is not only unwise but also illegal, although in the old days when the world moved and drove more slowly it was not such a problem. If you want to make the most of your Qashqai, then you should also forgo the £700 panoramic glass roof option fitted to our test car. It added little but took away a lot of headroom in the back. With all the seats folded, this Nissan offers 1,513 litres of load volume, which makes it very sensible. There’s also lots of stowage space around the cabin, like a huge cooled glove box that holds 14 litres of stuff or 15 cans of drink, beating the previous record of 13 set by the Nissan Note. In the centre console, you can hide eight CDs in their cases and the Acenta gets a sliding drawer under the front passenger seat. Various other pockets complete the Qashqai’s near-perfect family car package. Car: Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi Acenta Does it fit your ego?... 0-62 mph: 12.2 secs Top speed: 108 mph Bhp: 105 @ 4000 rpm Torque: 177 lb ft @ 2000 rpm ...and your wallet?... Price: £16,099 Urban: 45.5 mpg Extra urban: 56.5 mpg Combined: 52.3 mpg CO2 emissions: 145 g/km Insurance Group: 5 Best bits: roomy body; compact dimensions; refined diesel engine.