|
By EWAN KENNEDY
26 April 2010
Nissan has changed the
appearance of its Dualis crossover and at the same time has
significantly improved
its overall refinement.
Noise, vibration and harshness levels have been improved by adding
extra soundproofing material to the firewall between the engine
bay and cabin. As well an interesting new design of windscreen,
that actually absorbs sound, further improves matters.
During our road testing out of Melbourne as part of the
introduction of the 2010 Dualis we were most impressed by the
reduced sound levels in what was already a quiet vehicle. We
covered a good variety of roads, without taking any dirt tracks,
listened and felt levels of interior sound that would normally
require a much more expensive sedan to achieve. Yet this was from
a family hatchback sold for a pretty modest price.
As part of the midlife makeover of the Dualis, Nissan has changed
the appearance, particularly at the front where every visible
component forward of the windscreen has been changed.
Things in the styling department have become tricky from the point
of view of the Australian importer. That's because the changes
have deliberately been made to make the Dualis look like a
hatchback car, rather than an SUV. It seems the Europeans, who are
by far the biggest buyers of the vehicle, don’t like to be seen
as driving an SUV as they have become politically incorrect over
there. Whereas Australians would much rather be seen as owning an
SUV than a mere hatchback.
Ah! The joys of trying to please everyone with a single global
design...
A real bonus in the new front-end styling is that Dualis is
slightly more aerodynamic than previously. This results in a
decrease in petrol consumption of a tenth of a litre each hundred
kilometres – every little bit helps.
As well as the frontal changes, Nissan has also endowed the
taillights with the efficiency and bright appearance of LED lamps.
Inside, the dashboard has been rearranged, with the biggest
difference being the use of a larger, much clearer, readout panel
for the trip computer. This really pleases us as the fuel
consumption, distance travelled, range and so on can now be read
with the quickest of glances, thus improving safety as well as
convenience.
There are changes to the trim colours and design. More
importantly, this restyle has seen stowage areas being increased
in size and made easier to access.
Despite our remarks about Australians preferring to be seen in an
SUV, the fact remains this is purely an image thing. That's
because some 80 per cent of buyers have chosen to go for the 2WD
version of Dualis, not the 4WD model. The 2WD (with the drive to
the front wheels) has only been on the local market since August
2009 and has greatly increased sales of the vehicle.
That's partly due to the remarkably low price of the Dualis Hatch,
it begins at a recommended $24,990, but the lighter weight and
greater nimbleness on the road play their part as well.
Impressively, Nissan Australia will sell the new and improved
six-speed manual Dualis Hatch for that original price, despite the
fact that is has more standard equipment than previously.
The topline Nissan Dualis Ti AWD has had a slight price increase,
from $29,990 to $31,890, but now features a panoramic glass roof,
18-inch alloy wheels and a keyless starting system.
Power for the Dualis in 2WD and 4WD format continues to come from
a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 102 kW of power,
and 198 Nm of torque at 4400 rpm.
The engine drives through either a six-speed manual gearbox or a
sophisticated continuously variable transmission (CVT).
This powerplant probably has sufficient power and torque for most
owners, but we feel it's marginal in its performance if you enjoy
your driving. May we suggest you include some hills in your
private road test, and have some family members go along to add a
bit of weight to the Dualis.
In July 2010 Nissan is to introduce a further variant of the
Dualis. With a longer body, an increased wheelbase and a third row
of seats to enable it to carry seven people. We have had a quick
look over – as well as a sit in it – the Dualis+2 and report
on in a separate news piece.
The complete Nissan Dualis range, with prices (excluding
government and dealer charges) is:
ST 2WD: $24,990 (manual), $27,490 (CVT)
TI 2WD: $29,690 (manual), $32,190 (CVT)
TI AWD: $31,890 (manual), $34,390 (CVT)
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
|
|
