At first glance the Qashqai looks sleek, stylish and more imposing than a small family car has any right to. Some people will think Chelsea tractor, but this crossover's deceptively small - in fact, it's only 100mm longer than an average family hatchback and has a similar sized wheelbase. More than that, around three-quarters of Qashqai's are expected to be more fuel-efficient two-wheel drive models. Even other small(ish) SUVs like the Freelander dwarf the Qashqai when the two get up close.
A familiarly lofty SUV driving position provides excellent, confidence-boosting vision when wafting through city traffic. That feeling is heightened by a clever interior design which, with high-set windows and a sprawling soft-touch dash, makes occupants feel as though they're sat comfortingly deep within the car. The drawback is somewhat restricted rear and side vision, caused by the large pillars and small back windows.
Around town the Qashqai feels composed and quiet, even if the ride's a bit firm. But this SUV-hatch-mongrel can be driven with verve if need be, and when cornered hard our (front-wheel-drive only) test car felt safe and well-balanced, doing without the dramatic bodyroll that blights taller utility vehicles. Nissan claims the Qashqai handles like a sporty hatchback. That's not quite true - it gets upset by mid-corner bumps, for example, and falls short of the exceptional poise of the Ford Focus - but overall it is pretty agile.
We tried the entry-level 1.6 litre petrol, the only Qashqai to come with five gears instead of six. It's not lifeless, but does need to be worked quite hard to generate real thrust. And four-wheel drive is only available with the 2.0 litre petrol or turbo diesel variants further up the range. Of course, doing without it and having the smaller engine means that - for the same money as an Astra - you end up with a spacious, stylish family mover that stays on the right side of the green lobby.