The generally excellent standard set by the Qashqai’s driveline extends to all areas of dynamic ability. The brakes are strong and respond predictably whether being lightly brushed or brutally stabbed, but it is the chassis that really grabs your attention. Look at the Qashqai and you’d not mark it down as being one of the more engaging cross-country hatchbacks this kind of money will buy, but that is how it transpires.
First, and perhaps of greatest importance to most customers, it rides really well. Suspension comes from struts at the front and a multi-link rear axle. Like the Golf and Focus, which both use not dissimilar arrangements, the Qashqai flows over really quite poorly surfaced roads with an equanimity someone swapping from an Almera will scarcely credit.
Where the Qashqai differs from its more mainstream rivals is that it actually allows quite a considerable degree of body roll. This is not the amount of body roll that a car can generate, but the actual rate of that roll that causes discomfort, then the Qashqai’s strategy is clear to see. It might allow considerable wheel movement, but each one is terrifically well damped. As a result you gain the benefits of quite soft springs without the disconcerting roll and pitch that accompanies a less cleverly configured car.
It even helps the handling, because well-marshalled body movements are a key component of chassis feel. Add electric power steering that’s surprisingly low-geared, but adept at keeping you informed of conditions underfoot, and you have all the ingredients for a rewarding driving experience.
Pushed faster than it cares to go, its natural inclination is to understeer gently. ESP is a £365 extra, unless you are one of the predicted only 25 per cent of people who will specify four-wheel drive. This is a £1600 option and available only on the 2.0-litre diesel and petrol models.