Tale of two platforms
Filed Under Curt Hennig | Posted on April 7, 2008
Hatch or 4WD? Ahead of its time or superfluous to requirements?
Joshua Dowling reports.
IT’S not every day a revolt affects how a car is designed but
that is how the Nissan Dualis was created.
When Nissan stylists were drawing up the company’s
next-generation soft-roader almost four years ago, green groups
were calling for four-wheel-drives to be banned from the streets of
Paris.
Denis Baupin, the deputy mayor of Paris and a Green Party city
councillor, said at the time: “They’re polluters, they’re
space-occupiers, they’re dangerous for pedestrians and other road
users. They’re a caricature of a car.”
It turns out the Baupin ban wasn’t approved but he subsequently
wrote a book, All Cars, No Future, and last year put 10,000 free
bicycles on the streets of Paris.
But his comments in 2004 had an impact on at least one car
maker. The Dualis was being designed a short train ride away in
Nissan’s styling studio across the English Channel and at the time
there was a fear other European cities could take up the Baupin
suggestion.
But Nissan had a dilemma: sales of 4WDs and soft-roaders around
the world were increasing - despite an apparent public backlash -
and small-car sales were stagnant. So it designed two cars based on
the same underpinnings: the boxy-looking new-series Nissan X-Trail
soft-roader and the hatchback-style Dualis. Both models went on
sale locally late last year.
The distance between the front and rear wheels of both models is
identical and they share similar off-road systems but overall the
Dualis is shorter, so it can squeeze into smaller parking spaces.
Most significant, however, is that it is designed not to look like
a four-wheel-drive. The result is a hatchback that looks as if it
has the bottoms of its jeans rolled up.
Nissan promotes the Dualis as “two cars in one”. But dealers
have found customers are comparing the Dualis with slightly more
expensive soft-roaders rather than similarly priced small cars.
The Dualis has sold at about one-tenth the rate of the larger
and more expensive X-Trail. The Dualis range starts at $28,990 and
stretches to $36,385 for the luxury model with the works (the
X-Trail range goes from $31,990 to $41,385).
The base ST Dualis comes with the usual standard fare such as
air-conditioning, remote entry and a CD player but the standard
safety equipment is basic: dual airbags and anti-lock brakes.
The ST Option is $2000 more (with the automatic another $2000)
and comes with side airbags for the front occupants, curtain airbag
protection from front to rear, stability control, alloy wheels and
a heavy-duty differential for off-road driving. This is the model
we tested.
In Australia, the three Dualis models are powered by the same
2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine and are available with a
six-speed manual or a six-step continuously variable automatic
transmission.
Such transmissions use a series of belts that, as the name
implies, continuously adjust to find the engine’s optimum power
band. It can sound odd as the revs are constant during
acceleration, giving the impression the gears are slipping. The
shift action of the six-speed manual is smooth and precise, which
is a good thing, as your left arm gets plenty of exercise. The
2.0-litre engine seems to struggle with the 1450 kilogram weight.
The engine lacks any real pull from low revs. Unfortunately, the
2.5-litre four-cylinder engine from the X-Trail doesn’t fit in the
Dualis’ engine bay, Nissan says.
All cabin controls are well laid out and easy to operate. Cruise
control (standard across the range) is mounted on the steering
wheel but this feature is best left to flat, open roads as the
engine is likely to labour on hills.
Storage in the door pockets is only average and the centre
console is narrow but deep. However, the glovebox is very big (14
litres) and air-conditioned.
Leg and headroom in the rear are good but the rear view when
parking is obscured by the curved window lines. Vision while
driving is good, thanks to the relatively short bonnet and the
convex mirrors on both sides of the car.
The Dualis steers predictably and tyre grip is satisfactory.
Thankfully, there is a full-sized spare tyre under the cargo floor
(although mounted on a plain, black, steel wheel rather than a
fancy-looking alloy wheel).
The Australian NCAP website says the Dualis earns a four-star
rating with only dual front airbags.
The Dualis’ load area is relatively small compared with, say, a
Subaru Forester. This is mainly due to the tapered roofline rather
than the fact there is a full-sized spare under the floor. The rear
seats fold flat at the flick of a lever to create a larger load
space.
The Dualis drives reasonably well and, although we didn’t test
the off-road system on this model (you can switch from front-drive
to four-wheel-drive at the twist of a dial), we have sampled the
same system on other Nissans and it has been effective.
Most people, however, are unlikely to take the Dualis off the
beaten track.
It’s most likely to appeal to people who need a little extra
ground clearance for dirt-road driving and appreciate the taller
driving position.
There are a couple of challenges for the Dualis: similarly sized
hatchbacks are cheaper, and bigger soft-roaders aren’t that much
more expensive.
So the Dualis is either ahead of its time or an answer to a
question no one asked.
NUTS’N'BOLTS
HOW MUCH
$28,990-$36,385.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Britain.
ENGINE 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol.
POWER 102 kW at 5200 rpm; 198 Nm at 4400 rpm.
WEIGHT 1430-1475 kg.
DRIVETRAIN Six-speed manual or six-step continuously variable
automatic transmission.
SAFETY The Dualis scored five stars for occupant protection in
Euro NCAP testing equipped with front, side and curtain airbags. In
Australia side and curtain airbags (and stability control) are
optional on the base-model Dualis, even though these items are
standard across the Nissan X-Trail range.
CONSUMPTION AND EMISSIONS 8.4 L/100 km, 204 g/km (manual), 8.5
L/100 km, 206 g/km (auto).
RESALE VALUE Independent value guide Redbook forecasts the
Dualis will retain 48-58% of its rrp after three years. That’s only
average.
FOR Roomy cabin with quality materials, big air-conditioned
glovebox, user-friendly controls, full-sized spare wheel, wide-view
mirrors on both sides, good low and high-beams.
AGAINST Underpowered engine. Curtain airbags and stability
control are extras on the cheapest model. Rear parking sensors or
rear-view camera not available.
OUR SCORE 3/5
Related posts
Leave a Reply