NISSAN’S Qashqai has always been a bit of a quiet achiever for the brand, selling five-digit sums year after year and easily finishing in the top five of the small-SUV segment.

However, since its launch in 2014, newer rivals have arrived to shake-up the market, including the critically lauded Mazda CX-3, quirky Toyota C-HR and resurrected Honda HR-V.

The updated Qashqai will have to lift its game considerably to stay competitive in one of the market’s booming segments then and Nissan has given it a fighting chance thanks to stylish new looks, a more upmarket interior, trimmed variant count and more safety gear.

The changes don’t come free though, with the carryover variants coping a price hike and a new mid-grade version added to bolster the Qashqai’s ranks.

Has Nissan done enough to keep its Qashqai crossover competitor in contention or has its rivals moved beyond what it can deliver?