Nissan Dualis TS Diesel 2013 Review

Nissan has released its diesel-powered Dualis Down Under, but before you read much further, might we add that it’s available only with a manual transmission. If that doesn’t rule you out, read on... It’s worth the effort.

Dualis TS, as it is known, arrives with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel as standard fit. The mill develops 96kW at 4000rpm and 320Nm at 1750rpm, driving the front wheels via a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission. The diesel is currently not offered in conjunction with Dualis all-wheel drive models, or on seven-seat Dualis+2 variants.

With generous levels of low-down torque, the Dualis TS is incredibly easy to drive -- a fact that may sway less confident manual drivers into test driving the model.

The pedal box is predictable and very responsive, adding to the overall ease of control. The clutch take-up point is right where it should be, though we might add that the pedal itself does require a stronger leg to get an accurate launch.

Also requiring a little muscle is the gearshift. The selector feels notchy, almost firm, especially in the first-second gate. It’s atypical to most in this category and does take a little getting used to.

That said, you can afford to be quite lazy on the shifter -- letting let the engine’s torque do all the work. The Dualis TS will pull strongly uphill and overtakes with consummate ease. In fact we’d go so far as to say that the way this car accelerates is nothing short of sporty.

Sporty too is the Dualis’ suspension set-up, but not quite to the detriment of ride quality. If you treat the Dualis TS like a hatch, and not like an SUV, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by just how much grip is on offer, and how accurately and quickly it responds to steering input.

Considering its steering is electronically-assisted, the Dualis TS is very honest in the way it communicates the front wheels’ messages to the driver. It’s something you might expect from a MINI Cooper S or even a BMW 1 Series, but not from a high-riding SUV. Despite this, the Dualis TS is light to steer at parking speeds and is easy to squeeze into small spaces, thanks to a tight 10.6m turning circle, excellent outward visibility and a standard-issue reversing camera.

But it’s not all about sportiness; this is (meant to be) a frugal oiler for family transportation. And frugal it was. Nissan claims a combined cycle average of 4.5L/100km and despite being a very fresh engine (just 800km on the odometer at the time of test), we managed 4.4L/100km on the open road and 5.4 around town.

The engine doesn’t suffer from turbo lag, either, and will continue to provide sufficient motivation from 1750 through to 4000rpm; great for overtaking and/or climbing hills.

With comfortable seating and sufficient accommodation for four adults and their chattels (five is a pinch), the Dualis TS is let down only by stingy oddment storage; odd considering the car’s intended purpose.

Equipment levels are otherwise respectable for the price ($29,990 plus on-road costs, add $495 for metallic paint) with the lone TS-grade Dualis diesel offering 17-inch alloy wheels, cloth upholstery, a tilt/reach adjustable steering column, satellite navigation (very basic, but it does work), a reversing camera, manual air-conditioning, single CD/tuner, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, cruise control, power windows and mirrors, remote central locking and front fog lights as standard.

It’s not perfect (nothing in this category is), but the Dualis TS is a capable and characterful, compact SUV. It ticks a lot of boxes and will make a lot of buyers really happy... provided of course they’ve learned to drive a manual.

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