What Car? Car of the Year Awards 2022: Safety Award

[Sandgrounder]

The new Mark 3 Nissan Qashqai (MHEV) has taken top spot in the What Car? Safety Awards this year.
Second place went to the Polestar 2 (EV) with third place going to the Skoda Enyaq (EV):

https://www.whatcar.com/news/car-of-the ... ard/n23995

(c) WhatCar? magazine

[Sandgrounder]

Nissan GB press release:

From Safety First to First in Safety: All-New Nissan Qashqai receives the What Car? Safety Award

https://uk.nissannews.com/en-GB/release ... fety-award

[QaiFan]

Before I really drove the Qashqai J12 I was against all those 'safety features' that, I thought, prevented me from taking control of my own car.
But now, even after only a week, I have to admit that the way Nissan did it feels great and ... safe (pun intended).
Using all of it, never thought I ever would.
If we ever, for whatever reason, decide to no longer use these there is the comfort in knowing that we can always easily disable (most of it anyway).
[What I am a bit afraid about though is that say, in a few years, some of those HI-TEC features will start to exhibit problems, failures (like the many all-around cameras).
OTOH our computer-like cars may no be intended to last us 20 years (like in the past) anyway for oh so many reasons ... if only because our (gasoline) cars are getting banned sooner rather than later !]

[Steve101]

Before I really drove the Qashqai J12 I was against all those 'safety features' that, I thought, prevented me from taking control of my own car.
But now, even after only a week, I have to admit that the way Nissan did it feels great and ... safe (pun intended).
Using all of it, never thought I ever would.
If we ever, for whatever reason, decide to no longer use these there is the comfort in knowing that we can always easily disable (most of it anyway).
[What I am a bit afraid about though is that say, in a few years, some of those HI-TEC features will start to exhibit problems, failures (like the many all-around cameras).
OTOH our computer-like cars may no be intended to last us 20 years (like in the past) anyway for oh so many reasons ... if only because our (gasoline) cars are getting banned sooner rather than later !]

What do you think of pro pilot, can you only use it on roads with a central barrier such as motorways?

[QaiFan]

Hi steve101,

Sorry, have the MT, that does not offer Pro-pilot, meaning the car can/will a.o. not adapt the speed according to the map or traffic signs ...
But even the manual transmission cars have indeed the option of trying to keep us in the lanes.
Central barriers ... I have a feeling it does (I am 100% sure it does it with mere lines), but I have to try to be absolutely sure what is recognized as a 'barrier' (since I am driving my QQ for a mere 8 days week I did not risk being too bold and test my luck).
What I am very glad about is the fact that the adaptive cruise control works really well.
Moreover, IMHO, the Nissan J12 QQ Assist functionality is easy to use and nothing seems hidden in menus.
It is all handled with about 3 buttons/1 lever on the right side of the steering wheel and that's it.
Took me only a few minutes to get used to it.
The warning/audio signals are abundant, which is nice, and downtown it all might get a bit too obstructive.
I am sure other people that have the CVT Pro-Pilot Auto version and more driving experience might give better advice though !

[EJT19]

Does anyone know if there is a way of turning on cruise without the chevron thing being on? It’s really annoying when I car pulls in front of you on the motorway and it slams on the break to maintain the gap that’s required as I believe it’s just using more fuel by braking and picking up speed again all the time?

[Steve101]

Hi steve101,

Sorry, have the MT, that does not offer Pro-pilot, meaning the car can/will a.o. not adapt the speed according to the map or traffic signs ...
But even the manual transmission cars have indeed the option of trying to keep us in the lanes.
Central barriers ... I have a feeling it does (I am 100% sure it does it with mere lines), but I have to try to be absolutely sure what is recognized as a 'barrier' (since I am driving my QQ for a mere 8 days week I did not risk being too bold and test my luck).
What I am very glad about is the fact that the adaptive cruise control works really well.
Moreover, IMHO, the Nissan J12 QQ Assist functionality is easy to use and nothing seems hidden in menus.
It is all handled with about 3 buttons/1 lever on the right side of the steering wheel and that's it.
Took me only a few minutes to get used to it.
The warning/audio signals are abundant, which is nice, and downtown it all might get a bit too obstructive.
I am sure other people that have the CVT Pro-Pilot Auto version and more driving experience might give better advice though !

Many thanks for your response. Good to know you love the car.

[gloucester]

Does anyone know if there is a way of turning on cruise without the chevron thing being on? It’s really annoying when I car pulls in front of you on the motorway and it slams on the break to maintain the gap that’s required as I believe it’s just using more fuel by braking and picking up speed again all the time?

I fail to see why you'd want to turn it off - suffer the small inconvenience for the benefit ICC brings 95% of the rest of the time!


It's all detailed in the manual - do you have one?


HOW TO SELECT CRUISE CONTROL MODES

Selecting the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode

To choose the vehicle-to-vehicle distance control mode, quickly push and release the ICC ON/ OFF switch.

Selecting the conventional (fixed speed) cruise control mode

To choose the conventional (fixed speed) cruise control mode, push and hold the ICC ON/ OFF switch for longer than approximately 1.5 seconds.
For the conventional (fixed speed) cruise control mode, see “Conventional (fixed speed) cruise control mode” later in this section.

[QaiFan]

I can confirm that also the MT6 and thus without full Pro-Pilot Navigation connection (but with ICC)
my QQ will allow me to (pseudo-)automatically let it adjust to the (limited) maximum speed.
However I first have to allow for this (confirm) using the adaptive cruise control system (there is also an informatory message in the digital dashboard).
This is great because I then don't have to brake myself to reach the maximum speed.
Don't know whether this is made possible thanks to the traffic sign recognition feature or the TomTom navigation system that "knows" about maximum speed !?

[Sandgrounder]

What Car? have released a video of the 2022 Safety Awards, in association with Thatcham Research, showing how well the 3 contenders’ safety technology performs (Skoda Enyaq, Polestar 2 and Nissan Qashqai):

The Qashqai is shown at approximately 2min, 33sec.

One of the very safest cars we have tested all year…