NISSAN says its Dualis small-car/compact SUV crossover has been a work in progress, with the front-drive versions introduced in the latter half of last year finally bringing in the sort of numbers that the previously AWD version deserved but never managed. Now the latest instalment is a substantial facelift that brings improvements in the Dualis’ looks, as well as in its levels of equipment, refinement and dynamics. But while the base ST’s price remains at $24,990, the AWD and Ti versions are significantly more expensive than before. Still, Nissan is confident on keeping the previous Dualis’ sales momentum, while the +2 seven-seater arriving in July should bring in a whole new type of customer into the Japanese company’s Australian showrooms.
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J10 Dualis
Released: December 2007
Ended: April 2010
Family Tree: DualisWISELY, realising that the old Pulsar could never cut it in Europe against the established VW Golf, Nissan decided to go down the crossover route with its next small hatch – the Qashqai/Dualis. Using a modified second-generation X-Trail platform, the high-riding five-door hatch arrived in Australia in late 2007 wearing the latter nameplate, brandishing all-wheel drive, a 102kW/198Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, six-speed manual or CVT gearbox options and two model variants – base ST and luxury Ti. But sales tanked, as Australians struggled to make head or tail of a Nissan without the popular Pulsar badge in Australia, so from August 2009 significantly cheaper front-drive versions were introduced, improving sales somewhat and getting Nissan back in the small-car game that it has failed to play properly in with the oddball Tiida. Being European developed and British built, the Dualis has won praise for its benign handling and smooth (if not exactly fiery) performance. It remains one of our most underrated cars.
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