Nissan QASHQAI+2 hatchback

Drive

Nissan's Qashqai+2 is bigger than the five-seat Qashqai on which it is based – but it's every bit as good to drive. The extra length can make parking more of a chore, but the car's high driving position gives excellent visibility. It copes with rough roads perfectly well, while the steering is light, so manoeuvring is easy. The only downside is that rear visibility is slightly compromised by the rounded shape of the rear window.

Comfort

If anything, the seven-seat Qashqai+2 is more comfortable than the standard car. That's thanks to the longer wheelbase, which improves the way the car rides over bumps. The optional glass roof lets plenty of light into the cabin and makes it feel even more spacious. Second row passengers get more headroom than those in the standard Qashqai, which is a bonus, too. Wind and road noise are well contained and motorway refinement is first rate.

Reliability

Nissan's reputation for reliability is good and there's no reason that the Qashqai+2 shouldn't live up to the same high standards as other models. All cars get traction control and front, passenger and side airbags, and the car scored a full five stars in the Euro NCAP crash test. 

Practicality

With the third row of seats folded down, there's 450 litres of space available in the boot of the Qashqai+2. That's 40 litres more than the standard car - but that isn't available when you're carrying seven people. Slide the middle seats further forward, and 550 litres becomes available and there's a maximum of 1,520 litres with all of the back seats folded down. All in all, it's pretty flexible, but rivals like the Peugeot 3008 and Volkswagen Touran swallow more luggage and are easier to load.

Value for money

The Qashqai+2 is priced competitively and offers good value next to the majority of its rivals. The only downside is that the Qashqai and Qashqai+2 are extremely popular, which means that resale values are not as impressive as you might expect. Diesel versions hold their value better.

Running costs

The 1.5-litre dCi diesel is the cheapest of the engines to run - it will return 54.3mpg on average, which is impressive for a large family car. Petrol 4x4 models are quite expensive to run because of the heavy four-wheel-drive system - the 2.0-litre petrol 4x4 with a CVT automatic gearbox returns only 34.4mpg on average, so the diesel models are definitely the best bet.