Nissan Qashqai long-term test: report 3

The car Nissan Qashqai N-Connecta DIG-T MH 158 XTronic Run by John Bradshaw, chief photographer

Why it’s here To see if one of Britain's most popular family SUVs can cut it as an all-weather, all-purpose workhorse 

Needs to Carry heavy, bulky equipment all over the country while being comfy, safe and economical

Mileage 4020 List price £31,510 Target Price £29,726 Price as tested £33,050 Test economy 41.4mpg Official economy 44.3mpg 

28 March 2022 – Qashqai one, garden nil

Up to now, my Nissan Qashqai hasn't enjoyed a particularly varied lifestyle. Its duties have mainly consisted of tackling long motorway journeys to exotic photographic locations – such as Tyneside. However, now that the sun has finally put its hat on, the Qashqai has had a chance to display its 'domestic workhorse' talents. 

In trying to tame my garden, it took me no time at all to fill two large gravel sacks with horticultural debris. So, out of the Qashqai came my bags of photographic gear, in went a protective tarpaulin and I set to converting it into a bin lorry. Helpfully, the rear seats are a cinch to drop flat; the control to unlock them can be reached from the boot, and then they just drop down to lay flush with the boot floor, for a nice, even loading platform that isn't too high to lift heavy loads onto.

Its appetite for garden waste proved truly impressive. The rubbish just kept going in – even those awkwardly shaped bits and bobs that had been festering for ages while I waited for the right kind of versatile transport to materialise. Turns out the Qashqai is just that transport. 

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