Confident drive is what Nissan calls a common product attribute - a feature which is integrated into all its vehicles around the world. It means a smooth and refined feeling on the road, with precise and stress-free steering and handling. It's measured and benchmarked in three scenarios - on motorways, on country roads and in the urban environment.
The Nissan Qashqai has always been renowned for its confident drive. However, there have been numerous upgrades to the new Qashqai's performance on the road. While they represent some of the most significant enhancements to the car, they are not all immediately visible to the customer. However, the results can be easily perceived, leading to even greater feelings of customer safety and trust.
The development team at Nissan Technical Centre Europe used insight from existing Qashqai owners and their own research. It led them to focus on upgrades to the Qashqai's ride, handling and steering to improve it even further.
On ride comfort, the priority was calmer body motion and improved impact shock. This was achieved by retuning the dampers, reducing the single wheel spring rate, and modifying rubber components. The anti-roll bar stiffness has been increased to maintain handling performance. There is now reduced body motion when going over large bumps thanks to changes to the car's Active Ride Control system.
To enhance handling, the engineering team has created a more secure feel and improved line traceability through corners. This has been achieved with a new thicker steering shaft and changes to the steering effort build-up around dead centre.
On steering, a new technology called Active Return Control means the steering wheel now returns to centre more naturally, with improved precision during driving. The assembly behind the new steering wheel features a new dynamic damper which has resulted in less vibration reaching the driver's hands.
