Nissan Qashqai (2017-2020) review

You’ll have plenty of space to stretch out in the front seats of the Nissan Qashqai – even if you’re over six-foot tall – and all models come with a height-adjustable driver’s seat as standard. Acenta Premium cars and above come with a height-adjustable passenger seat and adjustable lumbar support for the driver to help reduce back ache on long journeys.

Pick a top-spec Tekna+ model and you’ll get electrically adjustable leather seats with a useful memory function – handy if you regularly lend your car to someone else.

Space in the back is better than in most family cars but not quite on a par with roomier SUVs such as the Kia Sportage. The rear doors open reasonably wide so it’s not too difficult to jump in the back seats and knee and foot room is okay, but tall passengers could do with a little extra headroom. There’s just enough shoulder space to carry three abreast (if not quite as much as in the Kia Sportage) but the lump in the floor will get in the way of the middle passenger’s feet and headroom is in even shorter supply.

Pick a Tekna+ model with a panoramic glass roof and rear headroom takes a slight hit. This can prove a pain when you’re leaning in to strap in a child but the Qashqai’s raised ride height means you don’t have to stoop down quite as far as in a conventional family car.

The Isofix anchor points for fitting child seats are clearly marked too, and they come with flip-up covers instead of easy-to-lose plastic caps.

The Nissan Qashqai can’t quite match the Volkswagen Tiguan or Kia Sportage for handy cubby spaces but there’s still just enough space to squeeze a one-litre water bottle in the Qashqai’s front door bins. You get two large cupholders in the front as standard but only Acenta Premium models and above come with cupholders and a folding armrest for passengers in the back.

There’s space for another bottle in the large storage bin under the front armrest, but the glovebox is best described as average. There’s a slot for your phone in a tray under the dashboard and a USB port under the armrest for keeping it charged.

You can fit 430 litres of luggage in the Nissan Qashqai’s boot which means it’s not much bigger than the boot you get in an average family car such as the Volkswagen Golf. It’s easily big enough to carry a few suitcases or a large baby stroller but it’s not quite as spacious as the load bays in a Volkswagen Tiguan or Kia Sportage – all of which can carry more than 500 litres.

You can adjust the boot floor height to create a flat load bay which makes it easy to slide heavy or bulky items on board. Flip the boot floor upside down and you even get a handy wipe-clean surface that’s ideal for carrying muddy dogs or soaking-wet camping gear.

All but entry-level Visia cars come with what Nissan calls flexible underfloor storage – a collection of shelves and dividers for holding smaller items safely in place. It’s ideal for tucking a few valuables (such as cameras) safely out of sight and can be rearranged in 16 different ways.

The back seats aren’t quite so flexible but do flip down in a two-way (60:40) split so you can carry a passenger in the back and some long luggage in the boot at once. With both seats folded (you’ll have to lean forward to reach the latches beside the headrests) the Nissan Qashqai can carry 1,598 litres of luggage. That’s more space than the Sportage and Tucson can muster but significantly less than you get in a VW Tiguan.

So, the Nissan Qashqai might not be the most practical SUV around but its flat load bay makes it easy to slide heavy luggage right up behind the front seats and there’s more than enough space to carry a bike with its wheels attached.