Nissan Dualis+2

KOMPAS.com -. The number of crossover vehicles on the road these days is enough to send a buyer, well, cross-eyed.

The Nissan Dualis+2 is the latest of this hard-to-pigeonhole breed. It seats seven but it's no bigger than some small cars and it looks like a four-wheel-drive, even though most versions drive just the front wheels.

The +2 is a stretched version of the standard Dualis. It's about 20 centimetres longer and the distance between the front and rear wheels (the wheelbase) has been extended to free up room for two third-row seats. In the process, the full-size spare has also been sacrificed for a space-saver.

It won't compete with genuine people-movers for space and load-carrying ability but that's not the goal. The +2 is aimed at drivers who prefer a small hatch in town but occasionally need a couple of extra seats for the kids' friends.

Price and equipment

The extra seats and load area come at a $2500 premium over the corresponding Dualis. The +2 comes in three models: two front-drive versions, the ST and slightly more luxurious Ti, and an all-wheel-drive Ti model.

The ST gets 16-inch alloys, cloth trim, a single-CD player with Bluetooth and an MP3 player jack, cruise control, a big, chilled glovebox, roof rails and a rear cargo blind.

The front-drive Ti we tested costs another $4700 ($34,690) but includes leather trim, a super-sized sunroof, climate control airconditioning, heated seats, a six-stack CD player, 18-inch wheels, tinted rear windows, auto headlights, fog lights, rain-sensing wipers and a smart key that unlocks without leaving your pocket.

The +2 doesn't skimp on safety gear, with six airbags, stability control and seven adjustable headrests as standard equipment and a five-star crash rating. The only notable omission is a rear camera/parking sensors.

Under the bonnet