MENTION Nissan to most people and they’ll think of a Japanese car manufacturer. Nothing particularly remarkable.

Ask car industry experts about Nissan and they’ll tell you a different story. Nissan is the company that made the most audacious gamble in recent automotive history, and it’s one that paid off. The vehicle they went all-in on? This one right here, the Qashqai.

This second generation Qashqai takes the same qualities that made the original such a winner in the crossover class and refines them.

Since the first version appeared in 2007, a whole host of copycats have sprung up, so this one’s going to have to work harder than ever to retain its position. Is that too much to ask? Let’s check out this car in volume 1.5 dCi diesel form to see if it can put rivals like the Mazda CX-5 and the Skoda Yeti in their place.

Commit to a corner and this Qashqai doesn’t feel appreciably different to a Golf or a Focus. Body control is excellent, the steering is light and accurate and there’s nothing cumbersome about it at all, helped in no small part by an engine that weighs next to nothing.

Ride comfort is possibly a tad sportier than the class norm, and it can feel a little chattery on really bad surfaces, but most of the time it just feels agreeably taut and direct. The suspension is a fairly straightforward setup of MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam at the back. There’s no 4WD offered on this 1.5-litre dCi model and most buyers won’t want it anyway. What they will want is reasonable performance and, with 110PS on tap, this variant obliges – to a point, getting to 62mph in a leisurely 12.4 seconds.

Overall though, in all the basics that you’d want from the car, this Qashqai delivers. The brakes are excellent. Visibility is great. The driving position is spot-on.

Refinement gets a big tick, even with the tiny 1.2-litre engine on the motorway. There’s really not any significant Achilles heel you could identify in this car’s dynamic repertoire.

A little more performance and sparkle would be welcome. Otherwise it’s tough to see how Nissan could have done much better.

Perhaps stung a little by criticisms from journalists that this Qashqai looked quite a lot like its predecessor, one of Nissan’s senior suits was heard to ask “Well how different is the new Golf?” And, when you think about it, he has a point. Geese that lay golden eggs don’t need to look like swans. It’s undoubtedly a more mature, assured looking thing, clearly well-engineered without having to adopt try-hard tactics to attract your attention. The front end gets a corporate Nissan V-grille and a bonnet that’s all curves and swage lines.

And inside? Well this time round, Nissan has wisely concentrated on improving materials quality and offering a more expressive style to the cabin.

The main instrument panel is a major element of this MK2 design. Visually, it expands the width of the cockpit and flows into the door design. This creates a focus point at the centre for all the important displays and Nissan claims it makes passengers feel protected by the car.

In the back, there’s more legroom which may placate customers disappointed by the fact that there’s no 7-seater ‘+2’ bodystyle offered this time around. There’s a bigger 439-litre boot too, extendable to 1585-litres with the rear bench folded.

Pricing for this MK2 Qashqai in 1.5 dCi form sits in the same £20,000 to £25,000 bracket common to other like-minded family-sized crossover models. Unfortunately, you can’t get the slick Xtronic automatic gearbox at this level.

Equipment across the range includes gear like automatic air conditioning, hill start assist, a five-inch colour HD infotainment screen, chassis control, tyre pressure monitoring system and speed limiter/cruise control.

You’ll need to step up a grade and pay around £1,500 more for gear like dual-zone automatic air conditioning, premium leather steering wheel and gear knob, 17-inch alloy wheels, a luggage board system, front fog lamps, auto headlamps and rain-sensing wipers.

Both of these trims can be fitted with a smart vision pack for about £450 that adds Nissan’s advanced safety shield system, incorporating features like front collision avoidance and traffic sign recognition.

Of course if you want to spend more, Nissan will gladly indulge you. The range-topping trim gets features like a DAB stereo, rear view camera, a panoramic glass roof and safety features like front collision avoidance, high beam assist and lane departure warning. There are also bi-LED headlights, 19-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, part-leather heated seats, front and rear parking sensors and intelligent key with engine start button.

At this level, the latest-generation NissanConnect system is also standard, including a seven-inch touch screen display, around view monitor and smartphone connectivity.

The old Qashqai model’s diesel engines were always extremely economical, but the units fitted in this MK2 version are that little bit better again. Choose a 1.5-litre diesel and you’ll see 74.3mpg and emissions of just 99g/km.

You’ll also save in other areas too, including servicing costs, insurance premiums, benefit-in-kind taxation and residual values.

With this second generation Qashqai model, Nissan has worked its socks off to keep buyers loyal. As a result, this classic crossover is genuinely hard to fault.

It’s practical, safe, well-priced and well-finished. It’s got a great chassis, you get plenty of standard equipment for your money and the running costs in 1.5-litre dCi diesel form brook no arguments. It’s become the quintessential car for small families.

Of course, it has a huge array of rivals, but in the price bracket this car competes in, it’s as clear a class leader as any I’ve seen.

It all means that this Nissan has become the biggest advocate of substance over style.