Robust gross sales of electrified Toyotas has proven Australians need hybrid choices, and Nissan is lastly ready to money in.
Having launched the larger X-Path e-Energy in 2022, it’s added the smaller Qashqai to the vary this yr.
Dimension-wise, it’s a match for the Toyota Corolla Cross. However with solely the flagship Ti trim on provide, it’s priced extra intently consistent with mid-range variations of the larger (and wildly standard) Toyota RAV4.
As if a pair of Toyota crossovers wasn’t sufficient, the Qashqai now faces off with a hybrid Hyundai Kona, and can have hybrid variations of the bigger Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson to take care of shortly.
How does the smallest Nissan hybrid stack up?
How does the Nissan Qashqai examine?
View an in depth breakdown of the Nissan Qashqai towards equally sized automobiles.
Nissan
Qashqai
How a lot does the Nissan Qashqai price?
The one Qashqai e-Energy on provide in Australia is the range-topping Ti, with a sticker worth north of $50,000.
2024 Nissan Qashqai pricing:
- 2024 Nissan Qashqai ST: $33,890
- 2024 Nissan Qashqai ST+: $37,890
- 2024 Nissan Qashqai ST-L: $42,190
- 2024 Nissan Qashqai Ti: $47,390
- 2024 Nissan Qashqai Ti e-Energy: $51,590
Costs exclude on-road prices
To see how the Qashqai strains up towards the competitors, take a look at our comparability device.
What’s the Nissan Qashqai like on the within?
Even lower-end variations of the Qashqai really feel good behind the wheel, however the Ti actually is beautiful.
From the waxy leather-based trim on the flat-bottom steering wheel to the quilted leather-based seats, there are many touches readily available right here that make this really feel like a fairly premium little SUV.
Together with heated seats, you get a heated steering wheel for cold Melbourne mornings. It’s meaningfully extra particular than a Corolla Cross, and has a really completely different vibe to the extra rugged RAV4.
The place it all the time felt such as you have been propped on prime of the seats within the previous Qashqai, the brand new ones provide assist in all the precise locations. The view over the sculpted bonnet makes it really feel like a correct SUV, moderately than a high-riding hatchback as was beforehand the case.
The infotainment system is significantly better than the low-res, low-tech touchscreen that served within the final Qashqai. It now has wi-fi Apple CarPlay, moderately enticing graphics, and sharp responses.
It’s very practical; though, it’s nonetheless not on a par with the uber-modern Hyundai Kona’s setup.
Likewise the digital dashboard, which affords a good unfold of data however nonetheless can’t match it with what you get within the newest Volkswagen Group merchandise. The setup in associated Renault merchandise appears and feels extra fashionable than this unit, which is shared with Mitsubishi.
There’s loads of storage up entrance, with deep cupholders and a slot beneath the dashboard. You additionally get a good bin beneath the central armrest, and spacious door pockets.
Entry to the rear comes courtesy of doorways that open to 90 levels, which anybody loading a toddler will respect.
The broad opening makes it simpler to get little one seats in with out painful contortion, and greater adults are extra simply capable of clamber in if required.
As soon as in, there are above-average ranges of leg room and head room. Additionally helpful are the twin USB ports and air vents, together with the central fold-down armrest. It’s a really usable area, extra consistent with a Kia Seltos than the outgoing Kona.
We carried a carload of fully-grown adults with out an excessive amount of bother, and also you’ll have the ability to get children within the again seat with out many complaints. The center seat remains to be for emergencies although.
ISOFIX factors function on the outboard rear seats, and there’s a trio of top-tether factors for little one seats.
Quoted boot area is 452 litres with the rear seats in place, increasing to 1376 litres with them folded.
A part of the additional quantity is probably going all the way down to the Qashqai e-Energy’s inclusion of a tyre mobility equipment rather than the area saver spare fitted on petrol variants – one thing to think about in the event you enterprise out of city typically.
What’s beneath the bonnet?
Put together to get a bit nerdy, as a result of this method is completely different to the hybrids Australians know.
Quite than straight driving the wheels by way of a standard transmission or CVT, the petrol engine is mated to a motor-generator and an inverter.
That unit is used to cost the lithium-ion battery pack, which in flip feeds the drive motors. It’s not fairly a spread extender, given the automotive has an electric-only vary so brief it’s not even quoted by Nissan, however the engine additionally doesn’t straight drive the wheels.
The closest it comes is whenever you mat the throttle and it feeds the electrical motors (by way of the hooked up generator and inverter) straight, moderately than simply suppling power to provide the battery.
The top result’s a automotive that ought to really feel like a pure-electric automobile (EV) to drive, full with Nissan’s e-Pedal regenerative braking system, however one that gives comparable vary to a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid on the open highway.
| Mannequin | Nissan Qashqai e-Energy |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.5L 4cyl turbo petrol |
| Energy | 116kW |
| Torque | N/A |
| Electrical motor | Single motor, entrance axle |
| Energy | 140kW |
| Torque | 330Nm |
| Battery | 2.1kWh li-ion |
| Gasoline consumption (claimed) | 5.2L/100km |
| Gasoline consumption (as examined) | 5.4L/100km |
| Gasoline tank capability | 55 litres |
| Gasoline ranking | 95 RON |
How does the Nissan Qashqai drive?
There’s an adjustment course of whenever you first get behind the wheel of an e-Energy hybrid, but it surely doesn’t take lengthy to study the way it works.
Like the larger X-Path, the Qashqai begins in electrical automobile mode and affords a couple of minutes of silent driving except you actually put your foot down. When it does hearth up, the petrol engine settles into what appears like a fairly tough idle for a minute to cost the lithium-ion battery.
The odd half? There’s not essentially a direct correlation between what your proper foot is doing, and what the engine is doing. You is likely to be crawling in metropolis site visitors, or slowing down, and the revs are doing one thing else completely.
After its first startup the engine is mostly refined, and when you’re dialled into how the system works it’s straightforward to disregard the disconnect between engine and highway pace. The Qashqai felt much more refined than its greater brother in my expertise, with much less vibration and noise within the cabin from the 1.5-litre engine.
The payoff is a driving expertise that feels extra electrical than a Toyota, Hyundai, or Kia hybrid. Even with no rear motor (the X-Path is all-wheel drive) it’s clean and punchy off the road, and affords three ranges of regenerative braking whenever you carry off the accelerator.
The usual setup may be very gentle, the B choice is a midway home, and e-Pedal lets you drive with largely one pedal. In contrast to in older iterations, the system cuts out at about 10km/h – so that you don’t really get one-pedal driving.
Nissan says it’s on the again of buyer suggestions, we are saying it’s lacking the purpose of one-pedal driving.
At increased speeds you’ll discover the engine kicking in additional frequently, but it surely by no means feels shouty like a Corolla Cross, or perhaps a ZR-V e:HEV. As a result of it’s getting used to cost the lithium-ion battery whenever you’re cruising on a continuing throttle, the petrol engine within the e-Energy typically hums away at decrease revs within the background.
It excels on the open highway, which isn’t one thing we’d typically say about typical hybrids.
We praised the X-Path for its spectacular wind and highway noise suppression at freeway speeds, and Nissan’s suite of driver assists all work easily. The ProPilot system isn’t too arms on, as an alternative solely intervening when it’s really required.
Journey high quality is fairly good for a small SUV on huge wheels, particularly on the freeway.
It nonetheless feels slightly bit busy at decrease speeds, extra so than the bigger X-Path, but it surely’s no worse than its greatest rivals. We’ve praised the ST+ with its smaller wheels for its experience consolation, and the Ti on its 19-inch wheels isn’t fairly as refined on pockmarked metropolis streets.
Just like the petrol mannequin, the e-Energy has gentle, straightforward steering that makes parking a breeze. Nissan’s cameras have improved considerably, so there’s now no excuse for dinged wheels or bumpers.
What do you get?
The Qashqai e-Energy is barely provided in range-topping Ti trim, which brings a beneficiant record of ordinary inclusions.
Highlights embody:
- e-Pedal Step (one-pedal mode)
- Regenerative braking
- Car sound (pedestrians)
- Energetic Noise Cancellation
- Premium entrance grille
- e-Energy badging
Qashqai Ti commonplace tools:
- Distant, powered tailgate
- Panoramic glass sunroof
- Auto-dipping facet mirrors
- 12.3-inch TFT digital instrument cluster
- 10.8-inch head-up show
- Clever key
- Driver reminiscence for seat, mirrors, audio
- 10-speaker Bose sound system incl. subwoofer, digital amp
- 8-way energy entrance passenger seat
- 4-way energy lumbar for entrance seats
- Driver reminiscence perform
- Massaging entrance seats
- Quilted premium leather-based trim
- Black headliner
Is the Nissan Qashqai secure?
The Qashqai wears a five-star ANCAP security ranking, based mostly on Euro NCAP assessments performed in 2021 – this ranking applies to all variants in Australia and New Zealand.
Class scores included 91 per cent for grownup occupant safety, 93 per cent for little one occupant safety, 74 per cent for weak highway consumer safety, and a powerful 97 per cent for security help.
Commonplace security options embody:
- 7 airbags incl. front-centre
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
- Pedestrian, Bicycle owner detection
- Junction help
- Reverse AEB incl. Pedestrian detection
- Energetic pace limiter
- Adaptive cruise management
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Ahead collision warning
- Lane departure warning
- Lane hold help
- Rear parking sensors
- Reversing digicam
- Visitors signal recognition
- Tyre strain monitoring
Qashqai ST+ provides:
- Clever Round View Monitor (360 digicam)
- Shifting Object Detection
Qashqai ST-L provides:
- Entrance parking sensors
- ProPILOT (lane centring)
- Alarm system
Qashqai Ti provides:
How a lot does the Nissan Qashqai price to run?
The Qashqai is roofed by Nissan Australia’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee.
Along with the guarantee protection, Nissan throws in a five-year, 24-hour roadside help program.
Scheduled upkeep is required each 12 months or 15,000 kilometres – whichever comes first. That is higher than the X-Path’s 10,000km intervals (countered by barely cheaper companies).
You possibly can pay as you go, in any other case Nissan affords Pre-Paid Upkeep Plans protecting three, 4 or 5 years – costs for the e-Energy are $1152, $1650 and $2007 respectively, all of that are tons of cheaper than the petrol, notably over 5 years the place the saving is nearer to $900.
CarExpert’s Tackle the Nissan Qashqai
I actually like Nissan’s e-Energy tech.
It’s not as environment friendly as a Toyota system, however its sophisticated mixture of petrol and electrical energy delivers a extra cohesive driving expertise, extra of the time.
Throw within the reality the Qashqai has an expensive-feeling inside and first rate area inside, and it’s a fairly convincing different to the strong-selling Toyota Corolla Cross and RAV4.
It’s a disgrace Nissan isn’t bringing a less expensive model to Australia, although.
The Ti is beautiful, but it surely’s greater than $50,000 earlier than on-road prices. A mid-range choice for nearer to $45k earlier than on-roads can be arguably much more interesting, based mostly on how a lot we’ve loved our time within the Qashqai ST-L.
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