Can pioneering SUV keep up with its competitors?

Nissan Qashqai drive by Steve Rogers

Fed up seeing nothing but SUVs on the roads? Blame Nissan.

It all started in 2007 when the Japanese company hit a brick wall with the Almera hatchback. I had the misfortune to have two company cars and hated both.

It could not compete with anyone, let alone leaders Ford and Volkswagen, so Almera was ditched in favour of something radical. Enter the Qashqai, a strange name for a very different looking car, a high riding five door, five seater that crossed the boundaries between hatchback and SUV.

Bold, brave, gamble? All three, and we Brits loved it making it the best selling SUV in the land year after year. So far more than three million have come out of the Sunderland factory, a third going to British buyers. That is a fantastic achievement.

It didn't take long for the rest of the car industry to realise that Nissan had struck gold and followed suit as quickly as they could making life far more difficult for the third generation Qashqai. Can it hold on to the top spot?

Each generation has improved but this one has made the biggest strides. More tech, more comfort, more room, better handling, more money. My Tech+ is the other side of £37k with extras and that is a whole load of cash.

To put it into context Tekna+ has a full suite of safety kit and is fully loaded with heated steering wheel, heated windscreen (shouldn't every car have that) brilliant head up display, heated front seats and loads of other stuff. The only car I can think of with a better spec sheet is the Kia Sportage which has air conditioned front seats and heated outer rear seats.

So what has happened to Qashqai to make it a top contender again? For starters it is built on a new platform which has sharpened the handling and there has been a quantum leap in the quality of trim, certainly on my Techna+. It was evident along the dashboard and door cards where everything has moved up a few notches.

All the key functions are nicely placed with physical switches for the heating controls and a dominant nine inch screen for navigation, smart phone connections etc. Better still is the 12.3in driver's display which has super sharp graphics which can be changed by toggling through a switch on the steering wheel along with clear head up display for speed, navigation directions and speed limits. I like to think of it as selecting a chapter in a book and then scrolling through the pages. Works for me and friends who find the whole digital dashboard a confusing minefield.

The driver gets powered memory seats which always gets you off to a good start as I hate the manual ratchet adjustment for the back rest which never gets the perfect position for driving. A little extra cabin space and a higher level of technology is one thing but the performance and economy from the 1.3 litre petrol engine tops both. There are two output levels and I can only speak for the most powerful which is a revelation when mated to the seven speed automatic gearbox and steering wheel paddle shifters. How they do it is beyond me but car companies are brilliant at pushing the boundaries.

It is even economical averaging 48mpg over a 100 mile cruise through twisting mid Wales roads and topping just over 44mpg at the end of nearly 600 miles of mixed driving.

You can enter the world of Qashqai at £23,535 but as you can see from my test car you have to spend a lot more to get the things we all crave. I particularly like the adaptive LED auto dipping headlights, you always worry they are dazzling oncoming drivers but never seem to, and the air bag between the front seats to cushion a side impact is an excellent innovation.

This third generation Qashqai is going to have its work cut out against a mountain of opposition compared to when it first appeared all those years ago. But it has evolved and improved and although it has not got the best handling, or is the most comfortable, it has a bit of everything so is still the benchmark SUV. 

I ended up wishing I could trade in my Renault Kadar for a new Qashqai. Because of the tie up with Nissan the Kadjar is basically a Qashqai with Renault trimmings, but at this moment I want a new Qashqai.

Fast facts

Nissan Qashqai Tekna+

£36,125 (starts £23,535)

1.3 litre petrol; 156bhp

0-62mph 9.2secs; 124mph

43.8mpg combined

146g/km

Insurance group 16

Boot 436-1379 litres

Community group which covers Llan up for major award

* Partnership chief officer Margaret Sutherland.

A Denbighshire social enterprise is in the running for a major award after boosting the economy of the south of the county by over £4 million in just three years.

South Denbighshire Community Partnership (SDCP) has been short-listed in the prestigious Steve Morgan Foundation Awards for its pioneering work in the Dee Valley area, including Llangollen, in fighting rural poverty and isolation.

Their services were extended to the Llangollen area in January after they won a £500,000 lottery bonanza to fight rural poverty in the Dee Valley with the cash to be spread over four years to autumn 2024.

Now they are appealing for local supporters to vote for them in the awards which cover North Wales, Merseyside and Cheshire, in the over £250,000 category for Charities and Social Enterprises making the Most Local Impact.

In the past three years SDCP, a grant-funded community charity with its headquarters at Canolfan Ni in Corwen, has helped local people claim unpaid benefits, introduced community transport along the Dee Valley, run a meals on wheels service and even pioneered a hydro-electric power scheme.

That quarter of a million figure is dwarfed by the economic and social impact made by the small team and their willing volunteers that operate from the community centre of Canolfan Ni on London Road, Corwen, and which extended its services to Llangollen earlier this year.

SDCP Chief Officer Margaret Sutherland said: “We’re thrilled to have been short-listed for this major award and for a small organisation here in the Dee Valley to be named alongside major charities and organisations from across Liverpool and Cheshire.

“We feel it is recognition for the work we and the people of Corwen and the Dee Valley have done to make life better for the local community and in particular for those suffering from poverty and loneliness.

“Now we’d just like to appeal to our many supporters to help by voting for us at https://stevemorganfoundation.org.uk/ by the end of the year as those votes will count towards 20 per cent of the final decision.”

The awards were launched in 2001 by multi-millionaire businessman Steve Morgan CBE, the founder and former chairman of housing giant Redrow who lived in Ruthin for a number of years and even played rugby for the local club, and over the past 20 years his Foundation has donated over £300 million to charities.

SDCP’s work locally with Citizens Advice Denbighshire (CAD) has helped people in the Edeyrnion area claim £1.8 million in benefits in just over two years with 70 per cent of that money spent locally and with each £1 estimated to be spent three times, providing a £4.1 million boost to the Dee Valley economy.

SDCP Chief Officer Margaret Sutherland added: “We have received huge support from the Wales National Lottery Community Fund and worked closely with CAD who were an integral part of the bid that we made for funds to fight rural isolation and rural poverty.

“We are working to reduce fuel poverty through the Corwen Energy Local scheme and we also work with CAD on their school uniform recycling and on helping people reduce their energy costs and on debt.

“This is helping people in very difficult circumstances, many of them are very worried about debt but although they were eligible for these benefits but they just weren’t claiming them.

“We work across so many areas of need and the activities we organise and provide at Canolfan Ni are so important as are the links our Meals on Wheels service and prescription and grocery deliveries create with some of the most isolated people in the community.

“We live in a spectacularly beautiful area but often that beauty hides real poverty as well and its part of our mission to reach out to people in need and connect them to their community.”

Among the most recent activities to be launched at Canolfan Ni is an arts and crafts group run by mum-of-three Kelly Kibble-White, from Cynwyd, who said: “SDCP are great and they work so hard here.

“I became involved because they organised activities for the children over the summer and it really was a lifeline for me.

“They do so much and the vulnerable in our communities rely on them so much.”

SDCP also receives funding support from other sources including Betsi Cadwaladar Health Board, Morrison’s, Moondance, Community Foundation Wales and Cadwyn Clwyd, while continuing to work closely with Denbighshire County Council on joint Community Development and Community Transport schemes.

Their rural transport services include bus trips on their 16-seater community minibus while their fleet also includes a Toyota Rav 4 hybrid SUV and an MG electric and a Peugeot van cars, used for dial-a-ride and meals on wheels service – they also provide two electric vehicle charging points at the rear of Canolfan Ni.

The Partnership serve Corwen and the surrounding villages of Glyndyfrdwy, Carrog, Cynwyd, Llandrillo, Gwyddelwern, Betws Gwerfil Goch, Melin Y Wig and Bryneglwys, an area covering 100 square miles and this year extended its activities down the A5 to Llangollen.

Community Engagement Officer Sally Lloyd Davies said: “This is an area where there is a great deal of rural poverty with older people often living in isolated areas and in the pandemic it has been a very frightening time for them.

“At the height of the pandemic we have been a vital link for many isolated people, bringing them shopping and prescriptions, making regular buddy phone calls for a chat and just being a friendly face dropping in.

“We sent out a flyer to every household in Edeyrnion, over 1800 homes, with a phone number for people to contact us and our volunteers have been brilliant whether it’s taking calls or making deliveries and making phone calls to vulnerable people to make sure they’re well and just to have a chat with them.

“Every Tuesday we’ve been phoning the people who registered for our shopping service to take their orders, we’ve done the shop on Wednesday and we deliver on Thursdays.

“There’s been a great response to our appeal for donations to the food bank as well and we’ve kept people up to date with posts on Facebook.”

* For the latest information on SDCP go to https://www.facebook.com/sdcpartnership and for those in need of support contact SDCP on 01490 266004.

Stranded street sign 'is in only viable place' says council

 

* The left-turn sign now in the middle of the pavement. 

A street sign "stranded" in the middle of the footway by pavement widening on Castle will have to stay where it is, says the county council.  

Since contractors put in the new paving slabs along the town's main street as part of the on-going 2020 project the no left-turn sign which was once on the kerbline is now smack in the middle of the flags.

People have complained on social media that it is now a hazard to pedestrians and looks plain odd.

llanblogger asked Denbighshire County Council, which is overseeing the work, for an explanation and has been told by a spokesperson: "This regulatory sign for a prohibition of left turn has been erected on the eastern footway of Castle Street between the junction of Bridge Street and Oak Street.

“As a regulatory sign, it must be installed on site. 

"We looked at alternative locations but due to the number of services under the footway including gas, electric and telecommunications, this was the only viable location.”

Don’t fall for cruel Covid booster scam

* Wayne Jones, the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales.

Cruel Christmas scammers are trying to charge for arranging bogus Covid booster jabs for victims in North Wales, it’s been revealed.

The warning came from Wayne Jones, the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, who has himself been targeted with a fake message with a link to “register” for a third vaccination.

The link takes people to a phoney website that appears to look like a genuine NHS site which asks for their banking details.

Mr Jones stressed that the NHS does not charge for such Covid-related services and texts or emails indicating for you to click should not be opened.

The retired police chief superintendent warned that the unscrupulous scammers were aiming to exploit the festive season, with a vast array of illegal swindles at a time when online spending increases in the run-up to Christmas.

He said: “People are doing lots more online these days, including buying Christmas presents or giving to charity, so everybody needs to be mindful that if an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is.

“They need to make sure they have proper software and firewalls on their phones and other devices so they’re not being infected by spyware and illegal software that’s tracking their online activity.

“Any online purchases should be made from reputable suppliers and check out their returns policy and their insurance policy.

“It’s also important to make sure that you’re fully secure in terms of your online banking and that you’re protecting your private information.

“My advice is to make sure your passwords are secure by not using birthdays, family names and the like, and don’t use the same passwords across important accounts.

“There are also a lot of unsolicited emails or text messages, particularly purporting to be in relation to parcels that could not be delivered.

“Sometimes they may be legitimate but there are an awful lot of scam emails and text messages going around. If you receive a message about a delivery, always check the delivery company’s official website where you can track any parcels.

“The purpose of a scam email can often also be to get you to click a link. This will take you to a website which might download a virus to your computer, or steal passwords or other personal information. This is sometimes known as phishing. 

“I would just like people to be on their guard, particularly during the lead up to Christmas and the post-Christmas sales, as they are spending more money.

“Also be alert for phone calls from fraudsters saying they are calling on behalf of banking services.

“You should always be wary of unsolicited calls, texts or emails requesting your personal or financial information, including  your name, address, bank details, email or phone numbers. Always contact your bank/building society directly using a known email or phone number to verify.

“This time of year, the scammers will always be looking for opportunities to make money out of people – particularly asking for charity donations. Scammers have no scruples, no moral compass.

“They will jump on any story they see in the press if they think they can make money out of it because scammers adapt themselves very quickly to changing circumstances. They’re always looking to take your hard-earned cash off you.

“They’re even trying to make money out of Covid and one of their new tricks is pretend to offer an appointment for a booster jab or PCR test.

“I’ve seen it myself where I have seen a link to go to what looks like an NHS website to book your jab. It looks legitimate but it’s not, never click on any links you are sent.

“Another one involves scammers offering to prepare travel documentation in respect of Covid, particularly if you are looking at booking a holiday after Christmas.

“It’s an awful thing to do at any time of year but it’s particularly mean at Christmas. It’s a time when scammers know people will be spending more money than usual on Christmas presents and making donations to charity.

“By all means make your donations to charity but just make sure you know who you’re giving your money to and what you’re giving your money for.

“I’ve seen the impact that being a victim of fraud can have on people and it can be utterly devastating. It can be really damaging for individuals and for businesses.”

It was a message reinforced by North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin.

Tackling online crime is a key priority for the tech savvy Commissioner who is also playing a key role nationally.

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners have elected him as their deputy lead for police technology and digital and deputy lead for economic and cyber crime, including fraud.

Fellow commissioners decided he was the perfect person for the job because of his background working in the technology industry.

Back in 2012 he helped ensure the London Olympics was successfully beamed across the world to an audience measured in billions.

Mr Dunbobbin said: “We know that during the pandemic cyber crime has gone up by 50 per cent in comparison to previous years.

“Tackling cyber crime was a major commitment in my manifesto and it is a key priority in my Police and Crime Plan which sets out the blueprint for policing North Wales.

“Nobody is immune from scam emails or text messages. I receive them, we all get them. People just need to use a bit of common sense. 

“These scammers are totally unscrupulous – they’re using any opportunity that might be particularly pertinent at that particular time.

“To use the pandemic for a money making scam is the lowest of the low because we all know somebody who has had Covid and tragically some have lost their lives.

“Christmas is supposed to be the season of goodwill but these despicable scammers aim to make it a miserable time for their victims.”

Applications invited for help towards winter fuel bills

Applications for a winter fuel support scheme for Denbighshire are now open.

Denbighshire County Council is administering the Welsh Government Winter Fuel Support Scheme which offers eligible households to claim a one-off £100 payment to provide support towards paying winter fuel bills.

Applications for the scheme opened on December 13.

It is open to households where one member is in receipt of Income Support, Income Based Job Seekers Allowance, Income Based Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit or Working Tax Credits at any time between 1 December 2021 and 31 January 2022.

The payment will be available to all eligible households regardless of how they pay for fuel, this includes payments made on a pre-payment meter, by direct debit or by paying a bill quarterly.

Cllr Julian Thompson-Hill, Denbighshire County Council’s Lead Member for Finance, Performance and Strategic Assets, said: “We will be working with Welsh Government colleagues over the coming weeks to ensure this scheme runs as smoothly as possible for Denbighshire residents.

“We would encourage all those eligible to apply for this support scheme and we will process payments as quickly as possible for our residents.”

All applications must be received by February 18, 2022.

* For more information or to apply for the scheme visit www.denbighshire.gov.uk/benefits

Schools to end face to face learning on Friday

Schools in Denbighshire will end face-to-face learning on Friday due to rising cases of Covd-19 nationally.

Denbighshire County Council, following discussions with headteachers, is informing parents that face-to face learning in the county’s schools will finish at the end of the school day on December 17.

The decision has been made today to give parents as much notice as possible.

Remote learning will continue at schools until the end of the day on Tuesday, December 21, which is the last day of term.

The decision has been taken to protect pupils and staff after the UK Government’s move to Alert Level 4, which states transmission is high and direct Covid-19 pressure on healthcare services is widespread.

Cllr Huw Hilditch-Roberts, the Council’s Lead Member for Education, Children's Services and Public Engagement, said: “We have been working closely with our schools and have taken this difficult decision now to give parents as much notice as possible of the end of face-to-face learning on Friday.

“With the emergence of the Omicron variant, rising case numbers across the UK and the change in alert level, we are doing everything we can to protect pupils and school staff.

“Online learning will continue on Monday and Tuesday (December 20th and 21th) up to the end of term.

“I would like to once again thank all of our teachers for their continued dedication during this difficult time, pupils for their support for helping control the virus at school sites and parents for taking their children for tests when requested by Test, Trace and Protect.

“Despite the difficulties in continuing education during the pandemic, everyone involved has given their all to ensure our children get the very best education possible.”

Inner Wheel's Christmas Cheer event cancelled

The Llangollen Christmas Cheer event due to be staged on Friday evening has been cancelled.

The evening of festive pre-Christmas entertainment, organised by the Inner Wheel Club  of Llangollen, was to be held at St Collen’s Community Hall with all proceeds being donated to the charities supported by Inner Wheel in the local area.

But earlier today it was announced that it had been called off.

The organisers said: "It is with great regret that Llangollen Inner Wheel have decided to cancel Christmas Cheer. 

"Due to the recent Covid developments we have had several cancellations. 

"Everyone who has bought tickets will receive a refund.

"Best wishes for Christmas to everyone who was going to support the event."

The evening was to have featured a full programme of entertainment. including a number of promising young performers and some established favourites.