Nissan Qashqai Acenta Premium

The Nissan Qashqai Acenta Premium adds some extra tech and luxuries compared to the standard Acenta. For example, the Acenta Premium trim has a panoramic sunroof to help keep the cabin nice and airy, along with Nissan's Safety Shield suite of tech. Blind spot detection, lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition are just some of the systems fitted as part of the pack. The NissanConnect infotainment system is also thrown in, which consists of satellite navigation, DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity.

The Acenta Premium can be had with a 1.5- or 1.6-litre diesel engine or a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol. Despite its size, the petrol engine is pretty punchy and is great for urban driving. If you're likely to do regular motorway journeys or longer distances, the 1.5-litre diesel engine will be a better bet.

The Qashqai is positively effortless to drive. It has light steering, a high driving position and very comfortable suspension, which should help take the stress out of driving. Rivals like the Renault Kadjar, Kia Sportage and Skoda Yeti may be more economical, cheaper or more practical, but the Qashqai is a very good all-rounder. It certainly deserves our 'SUV or 4x4 of the Year' award.

Good points

The Acenta Premium trim is probably the best all-rounder of the trim levels, linked to the best all-rounder of all the crossover SUVs on the market right now. It has all the equipment you'd ever really need on board.The Qashqai is very comfortable to drive. That makes it effortless to drive on the motorway and able to tackle deep potholes in urban environments with ease.Pretty much all of the Qashqai's engines return very good fuel economy figures, with the 1.5-litre diesel engine returning more than 70mpg.

Bad points

Despite being one of the better-value trim levels in the Qashqai's range, there's no denying that it's a little pricey compared to a Skoda Yeti.Although the Safety Shield tech is a very beneficial addition to the equipment list, some of the systems can be a little overly obtrusive.Complaints are mounting about the Qashqai's reliability. Owners in the Driver Power 2015 satisfaction survey rated the crossover very poorly when it came to build quality and reliability.

What you get

• Alloy wheels
• Folding rear seats
• Panoramic roof
• Electric folding wing mirrors
• Alarm
• Rear parking sensors
• Tyre pressure sensors
• Passenger & Driver airbag
• Front side airbags
• Curtain airbags
• Front fog lights
• Auto climate control
• Leather steering wheel
• Height adjustable driver's seat
• Front electric windows
• Single CD player
• AUX stereo input
• DAB Radio
• Cruise control
• Sat nav
• Stop/Start
• Automatic wipers
• Reversing camera
• Rear electric windows
• Bluetooth

Our choice

The 108bhp 1.5-litre diesel engine is smooth and punchy enough for most buyers needs. It also delivers very good fuel economy, returning up to a claimed 74.3mpg. It's also tax-free.