The Qashqai, in reality, is somewhere between an all-wheel drive-orientated Family Hatchback (like a Fiat Sedici or a Suzuki SX4) and a road-orientated compact 4x4 (like Toyota???s RAV4 or Honda???s CR-V). And, like all of the current versions of these cars, it incorporates MPV-style practicalities on board. Like many rivals of this kind, the Qashqai offers the choice of a two or a four-wheel drive platform, the front-wheel drive model being perfectly adequate for 95% of customer???s requirements. In case you were wondering where the wacky name came from, it???s pronounced ???kash-kai??? and is named after a desert-dwelling nomadic tribe from South Western Iran. A little frisson of the Axis of Evil adds an exotic feel to the Nissan and although it???s easy to be a little cynical about the window dressing, there can be little doubt that the product on display is rock solid. There???s one of the widest choices of engines in the sector with two diesels and two petrol powerplants. Prices start at ??13,499 and things start off with a 1.6-litre 115bhp petrol unit and move up through 106bhp 1.5dCi diesel and 140bhp 2.0-litre petrol units before topping-out with the 150bhp 2.0-litre dCi diesel. Nissan hasn???t skimped when it comes to transmission options either, the Qashqai being supplied with five and six-speed manual boxes, a six-speed auto option and even an advanced Constantly Variable Transmission (CVT).

The ALL-MODE 4x4 system is available on the 2.0-litre vehicles for an extra ??1,600. This is an electronic system which automatically engages four-wheel drive the moment a loss of traction is detected. It offers more safety and security in extreme weather on-road. Nissan makes no bones of the fact that the Qashqai is anything but an off-roader, citing its lack of ground clearance. What precludes it from tackling rutted tracks makes it a better car on the blacktop, the hunkered down centre of gravity giving the Nissan the driving dynamics of a typical family hatch. The development of this model is illuminating. Despite its external similarity to the bigger Murano model, the Qashqai is the first car designed from scratch by Nissan Design Europe, based in London. Home to more than sixty international designers, modellers and support staff, NDE???s first brief was to convert the Micra hatchback into the convertible C+C. A much bigger project was to develop the Qashqai as a vehicle not just for European markets but as a car that is sold globally. It???s also the first European vehicle built on the Nissan/Renault Alliance ???C??? platform and follows the launch in Japan of the Nissan Lafesta, a badge that probably wouldn???t scan too well in English-speaking markets. So it???s been thoroughly developed then, to gain sales from compact 4x4s, adventure-orientated Family Hatchbacks and ???lifestyle??? compact MPVs. Given that customers in all these sectors have lately been migrating around, unsure of what class of vehicle actually suits their needs, the Qashqai may have arrived at exactly the right time for Nissan. Provided they market it with a little more substance and a little less hype. Built at Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK in Sunderland, the Qashqai is undoubtedly a good-looking design. The rising hipline gives it a wedgy, athletic look and the canted C-pillar is a design cue nicked from the bigger Murano. The Qashqai???s front end is a good deal less extreme than the Murano, a vehicle that looks like an alien lander, the smaller vehicle favouring a more conventional front grille and lights arrangement. A large panoramic sunroof gives the cabin an airy feel. The dashboard is cleanly styled with a neat centre stack and uses better materials than Nissans of late. Nissan has built an enviable reputation for safety and the Qashqai incorporates a number of noteworthy features. Accurate electrically-assisted power steering, multi-link rear suspension and beefy anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution should well be enough to keep you out of a prang in the first instance and there???s also the additional safety net of Bosch???s eighth-generation ESP stability control. While there???s an inevitable avalanche of breathless hype to accompany the Qashqai and even a BBC news piece that featured puzzled members of the public trying to pronounce its name, the reality is a welcome addition to the ranks of road-biased compact 4x4s. It has some serious competition to face down but Nissan???s recent track record is near faultless. You wouldn???t bet against it.