First Drive: 2014 Nissan Qashqai

Get used to saying Nissan Qashqai (pronounced ‘Cash-kye’) – the new name for the Nissan Dualis – as the hot-selling crossover has been given a shot in the arm for this, its second generation.

Compared to Dualis, Qashqai is bigger, arguably more handsome with Nissan’s family nose that now adorns the front of everything from Micra through X-Trail, and is more efficient than its predecessor, too.

Tackling the likes of the Mazda CX-5, Hyundai ix35 and Kia Sportage, it’s been designed, engineered and is built in the UK, where the previous generation was the country’s sixth-best-seller in 2013 even after a staggering seven years on the market.

It hasn’t had the same level of success here, but Nissan’s had a healthy pile of cash to invest in the new model – we’ve driven it to see if it has spent the money wisely.