2012 Nissan Qashqai (Pure Drive 1.6dCi) Review

In line with a pledge to continually lower the emissions from its cars, Nissan has developed a new Pure Drive* version of the top selling Qashqai producing just 129g/km of CO2 with a fuel consumption of 4,9 l/100 km.

2012 Nissan Qashqai photo

It is powered by a brand new, state-of-the-art 1.6-litre diesel engine that not only delivers strong fuel economy and low emissions but which has the same levels of torque and top speed as the 2.0-litre dCi engine it replaces.

2012 Nissan Qashqai photo -

Peak power from the new engine is 130PS which is backed by an exceptional 320Nm of torque, available from as low as 1,750rpm. And this is just the start. Early next year a version of the model will be launched with Nissan's Stop / Start System which will help to reduce CO2 emissions still further to a remarkable 119 g/km and 4.5 l/100 km of fuel consumption.

2012 Nissan Qashqai photo

"Nissan dominates the crossover market with its ground-breaking design and consumer-friendly technologies. With the introduction of this new diesel engine, we give our customers the best of both worlds - low emissions plus an even better driving performance.

2012 Nissan Qashqai photo

"This is a remarkable engine, best in class in so many respects. It provides the dynamic driving performance which matches that of the outgoing 2.0-litre dCi yet produces fuel consumption and emission figures equal to or better than our existing 1.5-litre dCi unit," said Paul Willcox, Senior Vice President, Nissan Europe.

2012 Nissan Qashqai photo

To add to the dynamic excitement come a number of innovative new items of equipment including, for the first time on a C-segment car, Around View Monitor. More usually found on luxury cars, AVM uses a series of small cameras located on the exterior of the vehicle to make parking and manoeuvring as safe as possible by giving the driver a real-time bird's eye view of the environment around the car.

2012 Nissan Qashqai photo

A sophisticated new CVT gearbox will also be available on 1.6-litre petrol models to bring further drivetrain options to the range.

2012 Nissan Qashqai photo

These latest developments underline Nissan's leadership of the booming Crossover market and keep Qashqai well ahead of its opposition.

2012 Nissan Qashqai photo

"When Qashqai was launched in 2007 it quickly re-wrote the C-segment rule book, offering innovation and character in a previously conservative market. Its combination of SUV looks and toughness with dynamic handling, strong performance and plenty of interior space captured the imagination of the car-buying public.

2012 Nissan Qashqai photo

"After a little more than four and a half years, we've built more than one million Qashqai and seven-seat Qashqai+2 models at our Sunderland factory where we have three shifts working 24 hours a day to keep up with demand. On average we build 1,200 examples every day," said Guillaume Cartier, Vice President Sales, Nissan Europe.

2012 Nissan Qashqai photo

"The new Pure Drive 1.6dCi Qashqai, especially with innovative options like Stop / Start System and the Around View Monitor, will cement our leadership of the Crossover segment," he added.