• Quality is much better than previous Qashqai
• Infotainment system is fairly easy to navigate
• Praise be – it still has physical climate controls

How is the quality and layout?

Good on both counts. The Qashqai’s cabin might not be the most cutting edge but, with its rivals steadily adopting more complicated touchscreen-led cabins (we’re looking at you, Volkswagen), maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

You get a touchscreen infotainment system mounted high up on the dash, a digital gauge display (which does its best impression of an old analogue cluster) ahead of you and some traditional knobs and buttons on the centre console for the air conditioning and heating. Nissan says its customers specifically requested the latter feature – and we’re glad they did. The buttons make the Qashqai’s cabin one of the easiest to use in the class.

It’s quite a plush environment, too. The top spec Tekna+ model gets massaging leather seats and a powerful Bose stereo, while you can have a panoramic sunroof as an optional extra elsewhere in the range. We have two faults to pick with the Qashqai’s cabin. The biggest issue was its bulky A-pillars. They can obscure busses in tight junctions and restrict your view on roundabouts. Our test car also had an irritating rattle in the dashboard behind the binnacle, which is disappointing for a car that had only done 2,000 miles.

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Infotainment and tech

Every Qashqai leaves the factory with a 12.3-inch infotainment system – and it’s a decent unit. The graphics aren’t as bright, sharp or sophisticated as the Volkswagen Tiguan’s but, because it doesn’t handle as many functions, it’s easier to use on the move.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also standard, and both connected reliably to our phones during our short time with the car. Amazon Alexa is supported, allowing you to control connected items in your house, such as lighting or heating, before you arrive.

We should flag that not every version of the Qashqai has a digital gauge cluster. The most basic Acenta Premium model has an analogue gauge cluster, with N-Connecta models and above getting the digital setup.

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Another noteworthy piece of technology is Nissan’s ProPilot semi-autonomous driving mode. It was first introduced on the Leaf EV – and it can significantly reduce the stress of driving in heavy traffic. The system positions the car a fixed distance behind the car ahead and locks you into the centre of your lane.

Providing you keep your hands on the wheel, it can crawl along in traffic on its own. If you have an automatic, it’ll even decelerate down to a halt and then resume driving once the car ahead moves. It works at motorway speeds, too, and can adjust its speed on the fly by reading road signs and motorway gantries. It’s clever stuff.

The last piece of tech we’ll talk about here is Nissan’s new parking assistance package, which was introduced as part of the Qashqai’s recent facelift. The fanciest addition is a new invisible bonnet mode (like you get on a Land Rover Defender) that allows you to see exactly where your front wheels are and thus avoid kerbing them.

Comfort

• Comfortable driver’s seat
• Wind noise is well suppressed
• Steering wheel needs more reach

The Qashqai has a good driver’s seat. We’d have liked a base tilt adjustment, as the tallest members of the team complained of a lack of under thigh support. Our six-foot testers also didn’t think the seats could be set low enough – but it’s good overall.

The driving position is more annoying. If you’re tall, you’ll need to set the seat quite far back to make room for your legs. But if you do that, you’ll be both overstretching for the steering wheel and peering around the B-pillar every time you exit a junction. Nissan can’t do much about the bodywork, but we’d have like a little more reach adjustment for the wheel.

If you’ve got premium aspirations, you can have your Qashqai with massaging seats. They’re not bad, but they’re nowhere near as good as the seats you get in the latest Tiguan SUV or Passat estate. If that’s a priority for you, get one of those Volkswagens. They’re some of the best massaging seats this side of a Bentley.