Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi

Average score for the 1.5 dCi:

8.310

based on 5 expert reviews

The new Qashqai 1.5 dCi reviews are really positive. The old 1.5 diesel engine received some fairly impressive reviews, and the new updated unit seems to get similar levels of praise. It’s not the punchiest engine in the range, but the critics do still reckon it has plenty of appealing merits, such as a decent breadth of abilities, an affordable asking price and relatively cheap running costs.

Being the smallest oil burner on offer in the Qashqai, it’s not going to be the primary choice for someone who wants their crossover to feel a bit brisk – you can make progress in it, but most of the critics stated you have to work it fairly hard, at which point it gets quite noisy. That being said, it’s settled enough at lower revs.

It is far cheaper to buy than the 2.0 diesel and returns decent fuel economy at 55 mpg and it emits 137 g/km C02, which means tax is £115 a year.

There’s also a ‘Pure Drive’ model of this engine, which is slightly cheaper than the normal 1.5 dCi model and a bit more efficient at 57 mpg and £95 a year road tax. The main differences are that it is more aerodynamic, has longer gearing and different tyres, but note that it doesn't come with a spare tyre (to save weight!). However, it’s only available in the mildly spartan Visia trim.

Overall, the 1.5 dCi unit’s cheap price and running costs make it one of the better engines you can choose. Those wanting 4WD and a bit more poke may want to look elsewhere, but we reckon that this spec of Qashqai is definitely worth having a look at.