JOHANNESBURG - Just in time to stream that holiday road trip music, Nissan has launched an upgraded Qashqai in South Africa, featuring the company’s all-new NissanConnect 2.0 infotainment system, while the range of derivatives has been cut from eight to five, with the range-topper also undergoing an engine swop.
Under the simplified structure, the previous 1.2T Visia Plus, 1.2T Acenta Plus and 1.5dCi Acenta fall away, leaving the 1.2T Visia, 1.2T Acenta manual and auto and 1.5dCi Plus, while the range-topping Tekna trim grade has been retained, but it swops the previous 1.5dCi engine for the 1.2T unit.
The engines themselves remain as before, with the 1.2-litre turbopetrol unit producing 85kW and 190Nm, and the 1.5-litre diesel rated at 81kW and 260Nm.
Upgraded infotainment
The new 17.8cm touchscreen infotainment system, which is standard from the Acenta model grade upwards, features a redesigned fascia as well as a new processor for improved responsiveness. The system, which boasts Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, also features customisable home screens and widgets, while Tekna model’s navigation system gets a new single-line search functionality that is said to make finding a location simpler.
In addition to the new infotainment system, the Acenta models also receive a range of driver assist features that were previously only fitted to the range-topping Tekna. These include Forward Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Blind Spot Warning and Cross Traffic Alert.
Over and above all that, the Tekna comes with additional assistance gizmos in the form of Nissan’s Intelligent Around View Monitor and Moving Object Detection.
Nissan Qashqai range and pricing:
1.2T Visia - R 368 100
1.2T Acenta - R 396 900
1.2T Acenta CVT - R 415 900
1.5dCi Acenta Plus - R 443 900
1.2T Tekna - R 458 300