Long-term report: Putting our Nissan Qashqai’s practicality to the test

After a couple of months on the fleet, our long-term Nissan Qashqai has established itself as a firm favourite, and it’s not difficult to see why.

It’s pretty much a car for all occasions with versatility the watchword. Need to get loaded up to help someone move house? Not a problem with its cavernous, multi-layered boot. Planning a family day out? Everyone will get there in safety and comfort thanks to the car’s spacious and well laid out cabin.

You see, most of the journeys I take are solo trips, although to be fair, the car has been put to good use fetching and carrying lately, as I have been helping a mate with a flat renovation project.

We’ve been doing a bit of home improvement work at our place too, with the builders having recently finished and our attention turning to fixtures and fittings. A trip to IKEA (other furniture stores are available) led to us stocking up with all manner of flatpack items – and again, with the rear seats folded down, there was more than enough space.

I’ve enjoyed getting to grips with the technology in recent weeks, too. Our Qashqai is a Tekna trim level model, meaning it’s certainly well equipped.

Its fully electronic 12.3-inch TFT multi-information screen offers a choice of configurable layouts to display navigation, entertainment, traffic or vehicle information. And with a background inspired by Japanese kiriko glass, it looks the part as well.

There are so many neat features that just make life that little bit easier. The boot can be opened and closed via the key fob; I love the clarity of the head-up display which is seen at eye level in the windscreen; and the blind spot warning system is a boon, bearing in mind I do quite a bit of motorway driving.

The Intelligent Around View Monitor is great, too. The street in which I live is always full of parked cars so the composite 360-degree view, and split-screen close-ups of front, rear and kerbside views really does come in handy.

One thing you can’t always guard against, however, is the behaviour of other drivers. On a trip to a country pub recently, I was told by a member of the waiting staff that someone had hit the parked Qashqai while leaving the premises.

Future duties for ‘our’ Qashqai include spending time with an uncle of mine, a bit of a car nut himself, who’s planning a rare visit to the UK from his home in Spain.

I’ll be taking him to some of his old haunts in the West Country and North London / Essex and will be very interested to get his opinion after several days as a passenger.

Watch this space!