Crossover king.

Byline: By STEVE HUGHES

IT makes little difference which sector of the market you aim to select your new car from because the result is always the same. Buyers are simply spoilt for choice.

The new world order will bring this to an end with an amalgamation of motor manufacturers.

Consider that there are more than 20 different compact hatchbacks to choose from and that the Ford Focus alone comes in excess of 60 different guises. You soon realise how utterly absurd and totally unsustainable the situation has become.

It was great while it lasted and gave consumers a mind-boggling choice, but by the end of this year it will be just a distant memory as some of the major players are driven into extinction.

In the meantime those who have decided to make do with a single vehicle or to downsize into something smaller can revel in the array of models currently on offer within the so-called crossover market that claims to have been created by the Nissan Qashqai.

This is the vehicle that replaced both the Primera and Almera and has been a soaraway success as a result. A competent all-rounder, it now faces intense competition from a host of newer arrivals, including Ford's Kuga.

However, the Sunderland-built Qashqai has proved to be a trusty workhorse.

The main difficulty with the Qashqai is deciding between petrol or diesel, two or four-wheel drive, manual or automatic, five or seven seats and Visia, Acenta, Tekna or Style trim levels.

Then there are classes within classes, such as a petrol engine of 1.6 or 2.0 litres or a diesel alternative of 1.5 or 2.0 litres.

The two-litre units are the most capable, although there are economy advantages with the smaller engines.

In the case of the oil-burning models, this amounts to a difference of ten miles for every gallon, which is very significant.

Acceleration is not massively different, but there is a lot more pulling power with the larger diesel engine.

Best of the lot is the 2.0-litre diesel, with the reassurance of four-wheel drive and the most generous Tekna trim, although this model costs pounds 22,220 in comparison to pounds 18,373 for the 1.5 dCi model, which does not come with a four wheel drive option.

In some ways, crossovers represent the best of both worlds with their 4x4-style of commanding driving position and feeling of invincibility without the bulk that is the hallmark of a fully-fledged SUV.

Amazingly, a Qashqai is even shorter than a Ford Focus, yet feels like the Tardis inside. Built to a very high standard and packed with class-leading safety kit, it is the crossover connoisseur's car of choice.

However, remember that competition is intense, so knock at least pounds 1,000 off the list price and get haggling.

Facts and figures

Nissan Qashqai 2.0 dCi

Tekna 4WD

Price: pounds 22,2 20

Mechanical: 148 bhp, 2.0-litre, 4cyl diesel engine driving all wheels via 6spd manual gearbox

Max speed: 117mph

0-62mph: 11.3 secs

Combined mpg: 40.4

Insurance group: 11

CO2 emissions: 188g/km

Warranty: 3 years/60,000 miles, 3 years paint, 12 years anti-rust

CAPTION(S):

SO VERSATILE - Nissan's Sunderland-built Qashqai