
Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover
rate than other types of vehicles.
They have higher ground clearance than passenger
cars to make them capable of performing in a wide
variety of on-pavement and off-road applications.
This gives them a higher centre of gravity than ordi-
nary cars. An advantage of higher ground clearance
is a better view of the road, allowing you to antici-
pate problems. However, they are not designed for
cornering at the same speeds as conventional two-
wheel drive (2WD) vehicles any more than low-slung
sports cars are designed to perform satisfactorily
under off-road conditions. If possible, avoid sharp
turns or abrupt manoeuvres, particularly at high
speeds. As with other vehicles of this type, failure to
operate this vehicle correctly may result in loss of
control or vehicle rollover. In a rollover accident an
unbelted person is significantly more likely to be
injured than a person who is wearing a seat belt.NISSAN Blue Citizenship
The three-way catalyst is an emission control device
installed in the exhaust system. In the converter,
exhaust gases are burned at high temperatures to
help reduce pollutants.
CAUTION
•The exhaust gas and the exhaust system are
very hot. While the engine is running, keep
people or flammable materials away from the
exhaust pipe.
•Do not stop or park the vehicle over flam-
mable materials such as dry grass, waste pa-
per or rags, as they may burn easily.
•When parking, ensure that people or flam-
mable materials are kept away from the ex-
haust pipe.
TO HELP PREVENT DAMAGE
CAUTION
•Use UNLEADED PETROL ONLY, specifically
the recommended type. For details, see “Ca-
pacities and recommended fuel/lubricants” in
the “9. Technical information” section.
•Do not use leaded petrol. Leaded petrol will
seriously damage three-way catalyst.
Deposits from leaded petrol will seriously re-
duce the three-way catalyst’s ability to help
reduce exhaust pollutants.
•Keep your engine tuned up. Malfunctions in
the ignition, fuel injection, or electrical sys-
tems can cause over-rich fuel flow into the
converter, causing it to overheat.
•Avoid driving with an extremely low fuel level.
Running out of fuel could cause the engine to
misfire, damaging the three-way catalyst.
•Do not keep driving if the engine misfires, or
if noticeable loss of performance or other un-
usual operating conditions are detected. Have
the vehicle inspected promptly by a NISSAN
dealer or qualified workshop.
•Do not race the engine while warming it up.
•Do not push or tow your vehicle to start the
engine.
ON-PAVEMENT AND OFF-ROAD
DRIVING PRECAUTIONSTHREE-WAY CATALYST (Petrol
engine models)
Starting and driving5-9

•On an uphill grade, do not hold the vehicle by
depressing the accelerator pedal. The foot-
brake should be used for this purpose, in or-
der to hold the vehicle in place and to prevent
overheating of the transmission.
•Shift into the N (Neutral) position and apply
the parking brake when at a standstill for
longer than a short waiting period.
•Keep the engine at idling speed while shifting
from the N (Neutral) position to any driving
position.
CAUTION (when starting the vehicle):
•DEPRESS THE FOOTBRAKE PEDAL
When the engine is running, shifting the shift
lever into the R (Reverse), D (Drive) or Manual
shift mode position without depressing the
brake pedal causes the vehicle to move
slowly. Be sure the brake pedal is fully de-
pressed and the vehicle is stopped, before
shifting the shift lever.
•BE AWARE OF THE SHIFT LEVER POSITION
Make sure that the shift lever is in the desired
position. Use the D (Drive), or Manual shift
mode to move forwards and the R (Reverse)
to move backwards. Release the parking
brake and the footbrake pedal, then depress
the accelerator pedal to start the vehicle in
motion and merge with traffic (avoid abrupt
starting and spinning the wheels).
•Avoid revving up the engine while the vehicle
is stopped, this could cause unexpected ve-
hicle movement [if the shift lever is in the R
(Reverse), D (Drive), or Manual shift mode po-
sition] or damage the engine [if the shift lever
is in the N (Neutral) or P (Park) position].
•WARM THE ENGINE UP
Due to the higher idle speeds when the en-
gine is cold, extra caution must be taken when
shifting the shift lever into the driving position
immediately after starting the engine.
•PARKING THE VEHICLE
Depress the footbrake pedal and, once the
vehicle stops, move the shift lever into the P
(Park) position, apply the parking brake and
release the footbrake pedal.
Starting the vehicle
1. After starting the engine, fully depress the foot-
brake pedal before shifting the shift lever from P
(Park) to R (Reverse), D (Drive) or Manual shift
mode.
2. Keep the footbrake pedal depressed and push
the shift lever button to shift into a driving gear.
3. Release the parking brake and footbrake, then
gradually start the vehicle in motion by pressing
the accelerator pedal.
The XTRONIC transmission is designed so that the
footbrake pedalMUSTbe depressed before shifting
from P (Park) to any drive position while the ignition
switch is ON.
Shifting
j
ALHD models
jBRHD models
To move the shift lever:
mPush the button while depressing the
brake pedal.
mPush the button to shift.
mJust move the shift lever.
Push the button to shift into P (Park) or R (Reverse).
All other positions can be selected without pushing
the button.
NSD499
Starting and driving5-19

•If the engine of the vehicle stalls or you cannot
make it to the top of a steep grade, never at-
tempt to turn around. Your vehicle could tip or
roll over. Always drive backwards and straight
down in R (reverse) gear.
Never drive backwards with the shift lever in N
(Neutral) and/or with the clutch depressed and
using the brake as this could result in loss of
control.
•Heavy braking down a hill could cause your
brakes to overheat and fade, resulting in loss of
control and an accident. Apply the brakes lightly
and use a low gear to control your vehicle speed.
•Unsecured cargo can be thrown around when
driving over rough terrain. Properly secure it so
that it will not be thrown forwards and cause
injury to you or your passengers.
•To avoid raising the centre of gravity excessively,
do not exceed the rated capacity of the roof rack/
gear bin (where fitted) and evenly distribute the
load. Secure heavy loads in the luggage area as
far forwards and as low as possible. Do not equip
the vehicle with tyres larger than specified. This
could cause your vehicle to roll over.
•Accelerating quickly, sharp steering manoeuvres
or sudden braking may cause loss of control.
•Do not drive beyond the performance of the
tyres, even with 4WD. Sudden acceleration,
steering or braking may result in loss of control
and could cause the vehicle to become stuck.
•If at all possible, avoid sharp turning manoeuvres,
particularly at high speeds. Your 4WD vehicle
has a higher centre of gravity than a 2WD ve-
hicle and can tip over more easily. The vehicle is
not designed for cornering at the same speeds
as conventional 2WD models any more than low
sports cars are designed to perform satisfacto-
rily under off-road conditions. Failure to operate
this vehicle correctly could result in loss of con-
trol and/or a rollover accident.
•Do not grip the inside or spokes of the steering
wheel when driving off-road. The steering wheel
could jerk and injure your hands. Instead, drive
with your fingers and thumbs on the outside of
the rim.
•Before operating the vehicle, ensure that the
driver and all passengers have their seat belts
fastened.
•Always drive with the floor mats in place as the
floor may become very hot. Particular care
should be taken if you are barefoot.
•Lower your speed when encountering strong
crosswinds. With its higher centre of gravity your
NISSAN is more affected by gusty side winds.
Slower speeds ensure better vehicle control.
•Be sure to check the brakes immediately after
driving in mud or water as specified in “Wet
brakes” later in this section.
•Whenever you drive off-road through sand, mud
or water as deep as the wheel hub, more fre-quent maintenance may be required. For details,
refer to the separately provided Warranty Infor-
mation and Maintenance Booklet.
•Rinse the underside of the vehicle with fresh
water after driving through mud or sand. Re-
move any brush or sticks that are trapped.
•Install the same size of winter tyres on all four (4)
wheels (such as studless tyres) or install snow
chains to the front wheels when driving on slip-
pery roads (e.g. after a snowfall) and drive care-
fully using 4WD.
•Avoid parking your vehicle on steep hills. If you
get out of the vehicle and it rolls forwards, back-
wards or sideways, you could be injured.
Starting and driving5-29

Your new vehicle was designed to be used primarily
to carry passengers and luggage.
Remember that towing a trailer will place additional
loads on your vehicle’s engine, drive-train, steering,
braking and other systems. Towing a trailer will also
exaggerate other conditions, such as sway caused
by crosswinds, rough road surfaces or passing
trucks. Driving style and speed must be adjusted
according to the circumstances. Before towing a
trailer, see a NISSAN dealer or qualified workshop
for an explanation of towing equipment and its
proper use.
OPERATING PRECAUTIONS
•Avoid towing a trailer during the running-in
schedule.
•Choose proper coupling devices (trailer hitch,
safety chain, roof carrier, etc.) for your vehicle
and trailer. These devices are available from a
NISSAN dealer or qualified workshop where you
can also obtain more detailed information about
trailer towing.
Heavy-duty kits are available at a NISSAN dealer
or qualified workshop.
•It is advisable to contact a NISSAN dealer or
qualified workshop for towing details, before
towing a trailer up steep slopes for long dis-
tances.
•Never allow the total trailer load (trailer weight
plus its cargo weight) to exceed the maximum
set for the coupling device.Contact a NISSAN dealer or qualified workshop
for more information on this matter.
•The trailer must be loaded so that heavy goods
are distributed over the axle and as low in the
trailer as possible. Poor load distribution can se-
riously affect the stability of the trailer and tow
vehicle.
•Do not exceed the maximum permitted vertical
load on the trailer hitch.
•Before driving, make sure that the lighting sys-
tem of the trailer works properly.
•When towing with 4WD models, the 4WD mode
switch should be in the AUTO position. Using
the vehicle in AUTO mode gives better traction,
particularly when moving off from stationary and/
or on an incline, as the vehicle is less likely to
wheel spin.
•Avoid abrupt starts, accelerations and stops.
•Avoid sharp turns and lane changes.
•Always drive your vehicle at a moderate speed.
•Always block the wheels on both vehicle and
trailer when parking. Apply the handbrake (where
fitted) on the trailer. Parking on a steep slope is
not recommended.
If parking on a steep slope is unavoidable it is
also advisable to put the vehicle into gear, or
select P (Park (XTRONIC models)), and turn the
front wheels into the kerb (in addition to the other
precautions described). Before parking on asteep slope consider the incline (the towing
weights quoted are for a 12% slope).
•Follow the trailer manufacturer’s instructions.
•Have your vehicle serviced more often than at
the intervals specified in the separately provided
Warranty Information and Maintenance booklet.
•Trailer towing requires more fuel than under nor-
mal circumstances because of a considerable
increase in traction power required and resis-
tance.
•When towing a trailer, observe the following re-
stricted towing speed:
Speed: below 100 km/h (62 MPH)
•Observe the legal maximum speeds for trailer
operation.
CAUTION
While towing a trailer, check the engine coolant
temperature gauge regularly to prevent engine
overheating.
NSD239Z
TRAILER TOWING
5-54Starting and driving

When leaving your vehicle unoccupied:
•Always remove the ignition key and take it with
you – even in your own garage.
•Always remove the ignition key or Intelligent Key
(where fitted) and take it with you – even in your
own garage.
•Close all windows completely and lock all doors.
•Always park your vehicle where it can be seen.
At night, park in a well lit area.
•If the vehicle is equipped with an alarm or immo-
bilization device, use it – even for short periods.
•Do not leave children and pets in the vehicle
unattended.
•Do not leave valuables on view to tempt a thief.
Always take your valuables with you. If you must
leave something in your vehicle, lock it in the lug-
gage compartment or hide it out of sight.
•Do not leave the vehicle documents in your ve-
hicle. In the unfortunate event of your vehicle
being stolen, the documents will only help a thief
to sell the vehicle.
•Do not leave articles on a roof rack as they are
particularly vulnerable. If possible, remove them
from the rack and lock them inside the vehicle.
•Do not leave the spare key in the vehicle – keep
it in a safe place at home.
•Do not leave the spare key or Intelligent Key in
the vehicle – keep it in a safe place at home.
•Do not leave a note of your vehicle’s key number
in the vehicle. A thief may break into the vehicle,
note the key number and return with a new key
and drive the vehicle.WARNING
•If the engine is not running or is turned off
while driving, the power assistance for the
steering will not work. The steering will be
harder to operate.
•When the electric power steering warning light
illuminates with the engine running, the power
assistance for the steering will cease opera-
tion. You will still have control of the vehicle
but the steering will be harder to operate.
The electric power steering system is designed to
provide power assistance while driving to allow you
to operate the steering wheel with light force.
The steering effort can be set to [Normal] or [Sport]
in the vehicle information display under the heading
[Driver assistance]. (See “[Driver assistance]” in the
“2. Instruments and controls” section.)
NOTE
When the steering wheel is operated repeatedly
or continuously while parking or driving at a very
low speed, the power assistance for the steering
wheel will be reduced. This is to prevent over-
heating of the electric power steering system and
protect it from becoming damaged. While the
power assistance is reduced, steering wheel op-
eration will become heavy. When the tempera-
ture of the electric power steering system de-
creases, the power assistance level will return to
normal. Avoid repeating such steering wheel op-
erations that could cause the electric power
steering system to overheat.
VEHICLE SECURITY ELECTRIC POWER STEERING
SYSTEM
Starting and driving5-57

You may hear a sound when the steering wheel
is operated quickly. However, this is not a mal-
function.
If the electric power steering warning light
illu-
minates while the engine is running, it may indicate
the electric power steering system is not functioning
properly and may need servicing. Have the electric
power steering system checked by a NISSAN dealer
or qualified workshop. (See “ Power steering warn-
ing light” in the “2. Instruments and controls” sec-
tion.)
When the electric power steering warning light illu-
minates with the engine running, the power assis-
tance for the steering will cease operation. You will
still have control of the vehicle. However, greater
steering effort is needed, especially in sharp turns
and at low speeds.The brake system has two separate hydraulic cir-
cuits. If one circuit malfunctions, two wheels will still
have braking ability.BRAKE PRECAUTIONS
Vacuum assisted brake
The brake booster aids braking by using engine
vacuum or vacuum from an engine-driven pump. If
the engine stops or the drive belt is broken, you can
stop the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal.
However, greater foot pressure on the brake pedal
will be required to stop the vehicle and the stopping
distance will be longer.
Wet brakes
When the vehicle is washed or driven through wa-
ter, the brakes may get wet. As a result, your brak-
ing distance will be longer and the vehicle may pull
to one side during braking.
To dry brakes, drive the vehicle at a safe speed
while lightly pressing the brake pedal to heat up the
brakes. Do this until the brakes return to normal.
Avoid driving the vehicle at high speeds until the
brakes function correctly.
Using the brakes
Avoid resting your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. This will overheat the brakes, wear out the
brake linings and pads faster and reduce fuel
economy performance.
To help reduce brake wear and to prevent the brakes
from overheating, reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before going down a slope or long downhillgradient. Overheated brakes may reduce braking
performance and could result in loss of vehicle con-
trol.
CAUTION
While driving on a slippery surface, be careful
when braking, accelerating or downshifting.
Abrupt braking actions or sudden acceleration
could cause the wheels to skid and result in an
accident.
Be aware that brakes will fade if repeated heavy
brake applications are made.
Driving uphill
When starting on a steep gradient, it is sometimes
difficult to operate the brake or both the brake and
clutch (MT models). Use the parking brake to hold
the vehicle. Do not slip the clutch (MT models).
When ready to start, make sure that the shift lever is
in an appropriate forward or reverse driving posi-
tion, slowly release the parking brake while depress-
ing the accelerator pedal and releasing the clutch
(MT models) or depressing the accelerator pedal
(XTRONIC transmission models). If your vehicle has
an electric parking brake, this will automatically re-
lease when you depress the accelerator pedal and
release the clutch (MT models) or depress the ac-
celerator pedal (XTRONIC transmission models).
BRAKE SYSTEM
5-58Starting and driving

6In case of emergencyIn case of emergency
Hazard warning flasher switch ................................. 6-2
Spare tyre................................................................ 6-2
Temporary-use spare tyre (where fitted) .............. 6-2
Conventional spare tyre (where fitted) ................. 6-2
Flat tyre ................................................................... 6-3
Stopping the vehicle ........................................... 6-3
Changing flat tyre (Models with spare wheel,
where fitted) ....................................................... 6-3
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
(where fitted) ...................................................... 6-7
Repairing flat tyre (Models with emergency
tyre puncture repair kit) ....................................... 6-8Jump-starting ........................................................... 6-11
Push-starting ........................................................... 6-13
Engine overheat ....................................................... 6-13
Tow truck towing ..................................................... 6-14
Towing precautions ............................................ 6-14
Recommended towing for two-wheel drive
(2WD) models .................................................... 6-15
Recommended towing for four-wheel drive
(4WD) models .................................................... 6-15
Towing eye ......................................................... 6-16
Freeing the vehicle from sand, snow or mud ....... 6-16

CAUTION
•Three-way catalyst equipped models (where
fitted) should not be started by pushing the
vehicle as the three-way catalyst may be dam-
aged.
•XTRONIC transmission (CVT) models cannot
be started by pushing the vehicle. This may
cause transmission damage.
•Never try to start the vehicle by towing it; when
the engine starts, the forward surge could
cause the vehicle to collide with the tow ve-
hicle.
WARNING
•Never continue driving if the engine of your
vehicle overheats. Doing so could cause a ve-
hicle fire.
•Never open the bonnet if steam is coming
out.
•Never remove engine coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is hot. If the engine coolant
reservoir cap is removed while the engine is
hot, pressurised hot water will spurt out and
possibly cause burning, scalding or serious
injury.
•If steam or coolant is coming out of the en-
gine, stand clear of the vehicle to prevent get-
ting injured.
•The engine cooling fan will start whenever the
coolant temperature exceeds preset degrees.
•Be careful not to allow your hands, hair, jewel-
lery or clothing to come into contact with, or
get caught in, the cooling fan or drive belts.
If the engine of your vehicle is overheating (indi-
cated by the engine coolant temperature gauge) or
if you feel a lack of engine power, detect unusual
noise, etc., proceed as follows:
1. Move and park the vehicle safely off the road and
away from traffic.
2. Turn on the hazard warning flasher lights.
3. Apply the parking brake.4. Shift the shift lever (MT models) into the N (Neu-
tral) position, XTRONIC transmission (CVT)
models: move the shift lever to the P (Park) posi-
tion.
DO NOT STOP THE ENGINE.
5. Open all windows.
6. Switch off the air conditioner system (where fit-
ted).
7. Set the heater or air conditioner temperature
control to maximum “HOT” and fan speed con-
trol to maximum speed.
8. Exit the vehicle.
9. Visually inspect and listen for steam or coolant
escaping from the radiator before opening the
bonnet. Wait until no steam or coolant can be
seen before proceeding.
10. Open the bonnet. For details, see “Bonnet
release” in the “3. Pre-driving checks and
adjustments” section.
11. Visually check if the cooling fan is running.
12. Visually check the radiator and radiator hoses
for leakage.
WARNING
If coolant is leaking, the cooling fan belt is
missing or loose or the cooling fan is not run-
ning, stop the engine.
PUSH-STARTING ENGINE OVERHEAT
In case of emergency6-13