Stretching the Qashqai to produce the +2 version has added 135mm to the wheelbase and 75mm to the rear overhang. The car is also 40mm higher. That provides enough space to enable the middle bench to slide back and forth, allowing legroom trade-offs between rows two and three, as well as allowing access to the back row.
Seats six and seven are small, and the footwell ahead of them shallow; the need to accommodate the fuel tank eats into the space. But the seats are big enough for small kids, and medium-size adults can be accommodated for short journeys.
The Qashqai’s spring and damper rates are altered to cater for potentially heftier loads, but otherwise this car is essentially as for the five-seat version; the elongation is so tidily integrated that you need to look hard to see the difference.
Currently, only the bigger 2.0-litre engines are offered with this stretched Qashqai, but the 1.5 diesel and 1.6 petrol arrive shortly.
That 2.0 dCi diesel tested here develops 148bhp. Nissan’s All-mode four-wheel-drive option is also offered, adding authenticity to the Qashqai’s off-road DNA-strain, as well as improving the car’s usefulness in difficult conditions.
The All-mode system delivers virtually all of the engine’s effort to the front wheels unless they struggle for traction, in which case torque is directed to the rear pair as appropriate.
Otherwise the Qashqai’s mechanicals are conventional, although far from every model in this class has multi-link rear suspension. This sophistication ensures that Nissan’s generally strong reputation for decent handling is preserved. For the keen driver, then, there is some hope of extracting an enjoyable drive from this practical car.