Owning an SUV is about the ability to go anywhere: from the supermarket to the ski slopes. It’s about being snappy enough to look good parked in the office car parking space but having the ground clearance to go off the beaten track a bit. But if you want to do a little light off-roading, a diesel engine is a bit of a must. The same goes if you want to tow a load. So you can do this, Nissan has added a diesel model to the Dualis range.

The Nissan Dualis TS (aka the Nissan Dualis Diesel) shares the same sharp-looking styling as it’s petrol-drinking brothers: the sporty silhouette that looks more like a medium-large hatchback with city appeal over that hint of ruggedness promised by the high stance and extra ground clearance that make this into a true SUV. Seven sophisticated colours: one red, one white, one black and four shades of grey, all nicely set of with touches of chrome. Seventeen-inch alloy wheels complete the package with style.

One very slight disappointment is that the Nissan Dualis TS doesn’t (yet) come in four-paw or AWD, with two-wheel drive still being the only option for the drivetrain… at least for now. However, this still gives the Nissan Dualis TS some pretty good towing ability, and even if it’s not a 4×4, you’ve still got the ground clearance to head over rougher terrain. And the fuel economy in the 1.6 litre turbo diesel powerplant more than makes up for this possible lack: you certainly can’t complain about figures like 4.5 L/100 km, which is what the Nissan Dualis TS can do. According to the official Nissan website, the Nissan Dualis TS should be able to go from Sydney to Melbourne on one tank. Torque-wise, the Nissan Dualis TS is no slouch, with the curve peaking at 320 Nm – that’s a diesel engine for you. Nissan have been doing sturdy, thrifty diesels for quite some time now (this writer’s other half drives an older Nissan diesel ute (2WD) for contracting work) and they have the ability to keep going and going. So don’t the two-wheel drive-only thing put you off. If the Nissan Dualis TS is anything like the older Nissan diesels, this car will last you a long, long time.

From the perspective of a parent of a learner driver, the Nissan Dualis TS would be a great car to learn to drive in. It’s harder to stall a diesel engine, while the fact that manual transmission is the standard type for the Nissan Dualis TS means that a beginner can get the hang of manual changes without the risk of stalling part way through an intersection if he/she gets the leather-accented gear lever in the wrong place and pops the car in fourth instead of second.

The Nissan Dualis TS is at the lower price end of the variant luxury level. However, it still has plenty of bells and whistles to enjoy. The five-inch display screen displays the information for the satellite navigation as well as the reversing camera. The Nissan Dualis TS aslo has, Bluetooth handsfree preparation, cruise control, charcoal cloth trim on the seats, leather accents on the steering wheel, air-con, USB and iPod input on the 6-speaker sound system and the full shebang of safety features. The safety features in question are the Vehicle Dynamic Control stability system, Traction Control, ABS brakes with brake assist and EBD, and airbags front, side and curtain.

Current model series include:

• Nissan Dualis TS

For any more information on the Nissan Dualis TS, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quotes requests out to our national network of Nissan dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

Back to Nissan Car Reviews