2009 Nissan Dualis Reviews

The 'dual' in Nissan Dualis signifies its dual-purpose nature, a vehicle that's a crossover between a family hatchback and a compact 4WD.

If you can come to terms with the quirky CVT, this may be the car to move your people. New When car companies quizzed SUV fans about the importance of four-wheel drive the response was: not important at all. Potential buyers wanted a high-riding wagon with the space to carry kids and their kit. Nissan had an each-way

It put the soft-roader under the microscope, trimming prices and aggressively repositioning the starting-price ST and luxury Ti.  Most importantly, it introduced a front-wheel drive model of the Dualis and pitched it as a grown-up hatch.Has it worked?  Well, so far this year Nissan Australia has sold 1472 Dualises, against the running total last year — all-wheel drive only, remember — of 2396. That's a slump of 38 per centThat's not an encouraging figure, even taking into account the impact of the economic crisis.  The Dualis remains a hard sell for Nissan and Carsguide does not really understand why, given the fact that it is a huge seller in Europe.It is a competent and roomy performer and the lower-cost front-drive model priced from $24,990 means it should be selling a lot better.  We suspect it's all in the name. Some buyers, swamped with the better- known compact off-roaders like the Subaru Forester, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, probably still think the Dualis is some type of kitchen appliance. Even the respected X-Trail SUV, for a few thousand more, overshadows the smaller Nissan.When Nissan Australia launched the all-wheel drive Dualis last year prices started at $28,990. Today the all-wheel drive ST is $2000 cheaper and the sharply priced front driver is in Corolla territory.You now can get an entry six-speed manual front-drive ST for $24,990 with the CVT auto adding $2500.  The all-wheel drive ST will set you back $26,990 while the luxury Ti front driver starts at $27,990.  The savings are even better on the AWD Ti with prices trimmed by $4000 for the manual and $3500 for the CVT.At $29,990 for the AWD manual, the Ti now undercuts its luxury competition.  For this money you get a comprehensively equipped crossover hatch with a 2.0-litre engine, five-star crash rating and loads of space.Nissan Australia's chief executive officer, Dan Thompson, says adding a front-wheel drive into the mix will lure hatchback buyers who want space and practicality but who do not need an all-wheel drive.  He is right but Nissan's approach is not new.Hyundai, Kia, Renault and Mazda all now have front-wheel drive versions of their crossovers.  You can get a Tucson, Sportage, Koleos and CX-7 without the heavy and expensive all-wheel-drive package.So the compact SUV segment is a cut-throat segment where buyers take no prisoners and Nissan is discovering this with the Dualis.  Despite the price cut, equipment levels remain unchanged, as does the engine lineup.The wagon's all-aluminium four-cylinder 2.0-litre petrol engine generates 102kW and 198Nm with acceptable rather than exceptional performance. With 188mm of ground clearance you're also less likely to crunch the bumper on high kerbs or gutters when parking.  For families, there is plenty of space in the back.The load area swallows 410 litres of luggage and with the 60/40 rear seats folded flat space grows to 1513-litres.  As the bread and butter version, the ST comes with cloth seats. The Ti gains leather upholstery and steering wheel, heated seats and six- stacker in-dash CD stereo.The Ti also gets steering wheel audio controls, Bluetooth, automatic headlights, rain sensing wipers, foglights, trip computer, front passenger under seat storage drawer, rear armrest and sliding front console armrest. When I first drove the updated Dualis I was impressed. The price was good, the package seemed right, and the car drove well on a brief sprint around the beachside suburbs in Sydney.  But ...Now I have driven it on home ground, as a Ti with CVT transmission, and I'm far less impressed. The Dualis wobbles around corners, the performance is dowdy, and I wonder how Nissan expects it to compete with a Toyota RAV4 or a Honda CR-V or the class leading Subaru Forester.For a start, it still maintains that it is a hatchback. And a car.  It's not, it's an SUV wagon and that means it has to compete with the other SUV wagons. And they are a tough crew with a lot of history and a lot of strengths.Looking deeper into the Dualis, the cabin is very roomy and - as tested at a bit over $30,000 - it has all the stuff you need. Leather trim, a punchy sound system, a reasonable-sized back end and space for three teenagers in the back.  It is easy to park, visibility is excellent and the weighting of the power steering, power of the aircon and function of the minor controls is all good. Just as you would expect in a Nissan.But it is very dozy when you pull away from a stop sign and, with the constantly-variable automatic transmission, the 2-litre engine never gets to show its best. It needs to be revved to get going but the gearbox works against you, even for highway overtaking.  I remember the manual being much better on the preview drive and it would be my gearbox choice.As for the front-drive package, no-one who drives the Dualis is going to miss the all-paw grip. It's never remotely challenged in corners and few owners will take it to the beach.So, overall, the Dualis is a solid contender but not a standout. There is enough good stuff about it to win people to the car, so perhaps the relative failure is down to the styling and name. I'm a bit confused by this car. It's supposed to be a small car but lots of the time the Dualis feels quite big.  When you stand beside the Dualis it doesn't seem that big, but when you get inside it's really roomy. There is plenty of space for five, or a couple of youngsters in the back with all their toys.The leather seats are nicely designed, and comfortable. But you can feel the cheapness as soon as you open the boot, just looking at the finish and smelling the cabin.When you start driving, particularly in a tight corner, it feels really big and that's not something I like in a small car.  When go around a corner you feel like you're driving a tank. But it has a really good turning circle because it is only a little car.  And I felt like I was driving it with the handbrake on the whole time. Maybe the turbo wasn't cutting in - but it doesn't have one - so it could be the slightly-strange CVT transmission thing.  I hate that the locking for the doors is in the centre console and what's with the seat heaters in Australia? Wouldn't it be better to have an automatic boot release or a latch to let the seats fold down from the boot instead?For me, it is actually quite a good car for the starting price. And versatile too. But I don't think it's as good as some of its opposition, including the Subaru Outback.THE BOTTOM LINE: Not a bad car, but not a threat to the class champions.

It will be one of your biggest secrets. The car that looks like an SUV - even hints at a 4WD - yet beneath its boxy, upright facade it has the off-road capabilities of roller skates. The Nissan Dualis Hatch looks exactly like its more dirt-friendly all-wheel drive sister, the Dualis AWD, yet is only a front-wheel drive.It shares the 2.0-litre engine and transmission specifications, has the same dimensions including the 188mm ground clearance and yet will save you $4000 in purchase, a bit extra in fuel costs and 73kg in weight. The idea that something is missing beneath the seats is unlikely to occur to the driver and, considering about 90 per cent of SUVs never touch dirt, will never be missed.The Dualis, itself based on the X-Trail, gets a front-drive version to compete with similar exercises including the Hyundai Tuscon City and Kia Sportage LX. It appears to be a no brainer until you recognise that in making a 2WD SUV, you are going head-to-head with conventional hatchbacks and wagons. It even exposes a rival in that very clever, yet a bit awkward, Skoda Roomster.The Dualis Hatch comes in ST (as tested) and the more upmarket Ti guises and has appeal for people that want a small car footprint with flexible cargo space. The ST is a very simple hatchback that is modestly equipped and shows its entry-level pricing in its all-black plastic dash treatment. The CD player takes one disc, there are only two airbags and though the airconditioner is ducted to the glovebox, it isn't a climate-control system.It will seat up to five adults — though if you were number five your smile would be short lived — with reasonable rear legroom. Though the rear seats are relatively comfortable, the front chairs are really comfortable — more like an armchair or one of those padded seats that endeared buyers to French cars.The ride is also up there with some bigger cars. There's been excellent work in suppressing exterior sound and underbody road noise and that, together with the tall sixth ratio of the six-speed manual transmission, makes this a relaxed machine on the open road. A 2-litre engine is rarely inspiring though it has a broad power/torque band that suits the Dualis' primary role as a suburban family wagon.It can be revved towards 6500rpm in the lower four gears but that's a waste of time and money. The smooth-shifting box is better used to upchange about 3000rpm where the engine is comfortable, quiet and fuel efficient.Handling is reasonable. Remember this is a tall vehicle with most of its weight in the nose. It will tend to understeer when hurried and that will combine with bodyroll — mainly because of the car's height — to present some interesting dynamics. The all-wheel drive is slightly better because drive to all wheels can be provoked.In saying that, the Dualis Hatch comes standard with electronic stability control and electronic brakeforce distribution, so there's help available from the car's nanny if needed. It's a neat package and has its appeal with buyers who may like the high seating position and, more importantly, owners who like the higher hip-point of the seats to ease entry and egress.Those who are buying this just because they like the look of an SUV may be kidding themselves. By comparison, a Ford Focus LX hatch costs $700 less than the Dualis Hatch and adds alloy wheels, six airbags and at 7.1 litres/100km, is a lot more fuel efficient than the Dualis' 8.2 l/100km.

Most people will not see or feel the changes to the latest Nissan Dualis until they get to the most important part, the price. The compact hatch - some might call it a mini wagon - has been tweaked to take a bigger slice of the small car class with an important price breakthrough.It now starts at $24,990, much closer to Corolla country, thanks to a front-wheel drive model and some hard bargaining with Nissan headquarters in Japan.The basic bottom line is down by $6000, although Nissan is keeping the all-wheel drive Dualis for people who want more of the SUV experience and a little more confidence for sandy beach tracks or getaway weekends. And who are prepared to pay an extra $2000 to get it.The Dualis is a crossover critter that combines a higher seating position with a bigger luggage space in the tail to challenge rivals in the most popular new-car class in Australia. It has yet to fire, but that's mostly down to price and an oddball position in the Nissan line-up.But the company is convinced the 2010 model year tweaks and the sharper price will do the job. "Why are we doing this car? It's a perfect fit in the product portfolio. It sits precisely between Tiida and Maxima and it's what the brand has needed," says Dan Thompson, managing director of Nissan Australia."It's a big opportunity for Nissan to become a significant player in the small-car class. It delivers a need we have and ticks the boxes. It's quite an important opportunity for the brand."But what about buyers? Apart from the sharper price, the Dualis trumpets five-star safety, a 2-litre petrol engine, six-speed manual or CVT automatic transmission, and standard equipment including six airbags and ESP stability control. There is no skimping in the specification or finish of the front-drive Dualis - which Nissan prefers to call the 'two-wheel drive' model - despite its price-fighter position.It has tweaked the basic equipment with two model grades, ST and TI, but even the basic car gets alloy wheels, cruise control, airconditioning, power windows and mirrors, and a tilt-telescope steering column. The Ti picks up leather trim, a six-stack CD sound system, automatic headlamps and wipers, Bluetooth phone connection and more.The front-drive Dualis feels solid and secure and very few people will ever pick the difference unless, as I did this week, they make a steep uphill start and feel the front wheels scratching for grip under hard acceleration.The Dualis still looks a little dumpy, at least compared to cars like the latest Mazda3, but there is nothing wrong with the way it drives or the way it feels. The 2.0-litre engine has plenty of urge, the suspension is compliant and well planted, and the cabin is comfy with lots of stuff.There is no chance to back-to-back the new two wheel-drive model with the all-paw Dualis, but there is no need. It only betrays any front-drive signs under maximum acceleration or over bumpy, lumpy bitumen on a run through Sydney's northern suburbs.The six-speed manual is very slick but the operation of the constantly-variable auto, unless you switch to the sports setting with artificial gear slots, still takes some learning and appreciation.The car is quiet, has a nicely elevated driving position, comfy seats and all the cabin equipment you expect in a small hatch. Particularly a Nissan.The 2010 update also gives plenty of spread, with what amounts to eight Dualis models from the ST front-drive manual to the flagship Ti CVT with all-wheel drive, although few people are likely to be splashing $32,490. It might be built in Britain but there are none of the little quality glitches I have seen in the Brit-built Honda Civic Type R, and the factory's location definitely helps the price.Nissan believes the front-drive Dualis can nearly triple sales for the nameplate in Australia and the car has all the right ingredients for the job. The sticker might still be a little high when so many models are clustered around the $20,000 trigger point, but Nissan has the dowdy Tiida to do the price fighting and the revitalised Dualis with the right stuff to go up against the classier cars and the baby SUVs.