Girl, you need a Nissan Qashqai

By: CAR magazine

The lift opens and Tumi’s new Steve Maddens clack on the concrete as she rushes to her car, mobile phone clutched to her ear, briefcase and Louis Vuitton handbag over the shoulder, Gucci’s on the forehead, café latte and the ever-present lip gloss in one hand, access card in the other.

Getting to her car, she reaches for the boot and presses a small button with a well-manicured finger. In it goes her designer bags, placed carefully next to the yoga mat, pram and emergency nappy bag.  A convenient handle inside the lid and the boot closes, not a nail broken or coffee spilled.

Tumi touches the driver door, it unlocks and she slides in, no bending, not a crease in her crisp linen suit as she sits comfortably high behind the steering wheel, the lumber support perfect for PMS back-ache. Push-start functionality means no fumbling for the key or ignition, and as the cherry on top, important phone calls continue seamlessly through the Bluetooth system. The Around View Monitor helps her to reverse out of the tight parking spot without having to curse the huge 4×4 that almost parked her in.

Tumi’s four-year-old is at the nursery school and is running a fever.  According to the care-giver, it is worryingly high and she needs to get to a doctor. Tumi left an important meeting in a hurry, knowing that when all is calm on the home-front, she will have to put in an hour or two to catch up later tonight.

Sound familiar?

Tumi represents the modern South African woman: full time corporate job, wife, mother, friend and the owner of a new Nissan Qashqai crossover.

The second generation Nissan Qashqai 1.6 diesel CVT is designed around women like Tumi. Apart from its good looks, it is like an extension of her personal assistant, shrink or best friend. It understands her every need.

Requirements such as the number of cup holders, size of the cubby hole and mirrors in the sun-visor are often seen as frivolous. But according Marti Barletta, an American consultant in marketing to women, one of the reasons women have gained a reputation for caring about flippant details, is because they do so much research.

"By the time they arrive at dealerships, they’ve already logged countless hours online, finding cars that satisfy their main criteria. The visit to the showroom is often just to drive around the block and sign the offer to purchase", says Barletta.

Nissan took this fact to heart when designing the new Qashqai. It ticks all the boxes for the female buyer as shown in a recent study by TNS Qualitative in Johannesburg.

Safety issues are very important to women drivers, and the Qashqai’s elevated driving position coupled with all round airbags, keyless entry and iSOFIX for baby seats, scored top marks in the study. The convenience of the Around View Monitor gives a birds’ eye view of the vehicle and its surrounds when parking, making it easy to spot other vehicles or pedestrians.

Another priority, of course, is luxury and comfort to show that she is successful, fun and outgoing. Sufficient rear leg room and a large boot add to the comfort of driver and passengers for a night on the town or weekend away. The Qashqai’s soft touch interior, plush upholstery and space instantly makes it a BFF.

Most buyers are career women who often use their vehicles as a mobile office. The Nissan Connect infotainment system complete with Internet, navigation, Bluetooth and USB ports ensure that she is never off-line. The easy to use touch screen and controls on the steering wheel complete the picture. One of the respondents summarises her Qashqai in one sentence: "I love my car, I love the shape inside, the interior, the technology".

According to Nissan South Africa Brand Manager, Nancy Reddy, most of the above findings were welcome – and to be expected. "But what surprised us was that most recipients were impressed by the Qashqai’s efficient, but nippy diesel engine coupled with the ease of the CVT engine". Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) means no manual gear shifts or the jerkiness of traditional Automatic engines, ensuring a smooth, gliding drive mentioned by most participants in the study.

"The Nissan Qashqai is designed for the multi-tasking woman and it certainly lives up the expectation – no wonder it is South Africa’s top selling crossover", concludes Reddy.

Words by: Thandi Ndwandwe

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