| Week at the Wheel | Nissan Qashqai+2 CVT |

Inside & Out:

The Nissan Qashqai was launched at the beginning of last year, so it's far too early for a facelift and as such the Qashqai+2 looks identical to its five-seat namesake. Yet, the chassis is completely overhauled from the A-pillar backwards, and if you parked the two cars side-by-side you'd see that there's considerably more heft at the +2's rear end.

You can feel its augmented backside from behind the wheel too (so to speak), because even though there's a mere 211mm added to the standard car's length, it somehow seems a class bigger - like a proper SUV as opposed to the 'jacked-up hatchback' vibe of the original. That might appeal to some, but a large part of the original's charm is its blend of SUV practicality (high driving position and feeling of space and safety) with hatchback-like lack of intimidation (easy to park and diminished fear of the anti-4x4 brigade).

The bonus is two extra chairs, of course, and a massive boot when they're stowed away - which they do with well-engineered ease. The seats are on the cusp of being completely useless for adults with legs, though, and access via the rear doors is awkward. The rest of the cabin is classic Qashqai, so it's well ordered, well put together out of mostly quality materials, and it's easy to find a good driving position.

Engine & Transmission:

Our car came equipped with the 2.0-litre petrol engine mated to a CVT automatic gearbox, and it's a really odd couple. It feels like a fat, lazy engine being constantly harangued by a noisy, jumpy little gearbox. Basically, it's Jack Dee and Lee Evans in concert, on stage together for the first time.

Continuously variable transmissions have been around for years - Leonardo Da Vinci first dreamt up the concept circa 1490, in fact - but they've never really caught on in huge numbers in cars despite their advantages. With a CVT, heavy gear meshes are replaced by a much simpler system of cones and pulleys, which dispense with set ratios and allow the engine to run at its most fuel and performance efficient.

However, the persistent, high rev drone it emits under hard acceleration is like being beaten across the face with a hand blender, and becomes so tiresome that you eventually stop bothering to press the accelerator more than an inch. There's no 'step' between gears either, so it's missing the elastic power delivery you expect and thus feels slower than it is. It's horrible, frankly. Buy a diesel with a manual 'box instead.

Ride & Handling:

There's no tangible ride or handling difference between this and the standard car, so they remain this Qashqai's most admirable qualities. It handles much like a hatch, with very little tendency to tilt or wobble around corners, well weighted steering and a ride that squashes lumps with aplomb. Nissan has done a cracking job, really. It doesn't quite defy the laws of physics, but it's every bit as good as you could expect it to be for a car with its dimensions.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:

Three trim levels and two engines are available - a 2.0-litre 138bhp petrol and a 2.0-litre 148bhp diesel. Both get six-speed manuals as standard but, for whatever reason, you must have the CVT if you want an automatic petrol model, yet you can get a regular six-speed slush box with the diesel. All models are well equipped, with even basic Visia spec cars getting alloys, air conditioning, Bluetooth phone preparation and loads of air bags. Top spec Tekna cars get leather, bigger alloys, heated front seats and the fairly pointless 'intelligent key' (that replaces the ignition slot with a dial to turn, instead of the key, which you'll inevitably then lose down the side of the centre console).

Prices range from just over £17,000 to around £25,000 for a fully loaded, satnav equipped car, so pricing is keen; whatever you buy, you're getting a lot of car for the money. There's a price to pay for all that weight, though, so economy's not great for either the petrol or the diesel. The four-wheel drive 2.0-litre petrol CVT model we tested (front-wheel drive only can be specified) posts 34mpg combined and emits 199g/km of CO₂. A manual diesel version will return around 40mpg, but emissions of 188g/km (for a 4x4 version) are still on the high side.

Overall:

As a day-to-day, all-in-one family car, few match the Nissan Qashqai, and this +2 version makes it even more practical. It's really a four-star car, but we've marked it down because the space created for the extra two seats is more useful for liberating extra boot space than carrying extra people. Running costs are high, too, because the smaller petrol and diesel engines powering the standard car aren't available, and we reckon that the extra rear bulk takes some of its charm away, making it more cumbersome. Still, it's a very complete, very practical car, and a very satisfying answer to your requirement for space.