The Qashqai is an incredibly important model for both Nissan and the UK car market. But now, it’s since been refreshed, updated, and facelifted, but could this new Qashqai fill the shoes of its predecessor, one of the best-selling Nissan nameplates across Europe, and in particular, here in Britain? Underneath it all, this facelifted Nissan Qashqai is mostly the same as the outgoing model, barring a new design, a slightly redesigned interior, and some new tech, alongside minute improvements here and there. Crucially, all the good things that I liked about the old Qashqai, such as the superbly efficient Nissan e-POWER hybrid powertrain, as well as its value for money, general practicality, and overall refinement, should still all be there.
To showcase just how different this new and refreshed Qashqai is, Nissan invited me out to Portugal to give it a shakedown. There, I actually had the chance to drive both the mild-hybrid version of the Qashqai and this e-POWER model, two of which you’ll be able to choose from, now that the order books are open. But, for now, I’ll be focusing more on the e-POWER variant that you see here, which I think is the most interesting one of the two available powertrain options. So, is the facelifted Nissan Qashqai the same do-everything crossover SUV that’ll continue to win your hearts and minds? Or, with the plethora of awesome hybrids you can get in the £30,000 to £40,000 price bracket, should you look elsewhere, instead?
What Is The Nissan Qashqai N-Design e-POWER About?
One of the biggest selling points for this new Qashqai is the updated styling, as it’s mostly an aesthetic facelift of the old one that we know and love. Think of it as a minor refresh rather than a remaster or a huge overhaul. While the outgoing Qashqai looks very sharp, but nonetheless fairly conservative, this facelifted car now aims to make a statement wherever you take it. Admittedly, it does take getting used to, this new, bolder, brasher design. When I first saw it, I thought it looked quite weird, and initially, I preferred the outgoing Qashqai’s design, instead. The outgoing model felt more understated and far more “normal”.
Yet, the more time I spent around this new, updated Qashqai, the more the looks were starting to grow on me. It takes a moment or two to warm up to it. The most notable design element on the updated Qashqai, as you might’ve already noticed from a mile away, is its new front grille. It has a jewelled-like pattern and gill-esque slots, and the way it blends into the headlight design… It certainly might not appeal to everyone. Still, it is what it is, and you have to keep moving forward with automotive design. Give it some time, and you might end up liking it, too. Elsewhere, the overall shape and silhouette of this Qashqai is pretty much identical to the outgoing model.
Look side by side with the old Qashqai, and you’ll notice a lot of the same, sharp body lines. This also includes the floating roof on the C-pillar, as well as the atypical crossover-SUV shape. There are some noteworthy changes elsewhere, like the aforementioned new headlight design, which is now split top and bottom. Moreover, the rear lights, while it’s the same shape as the old one, have a slightly varied, smoked finish. With this N-Design trim level (more on that later), the new Qashqai has painted arch protectors and lower bumpers, whereas on the entry-level trims, you’ll get it finished in black plastic.
Another interesting piece of design on this new, facelifted model is the 20-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. The way they’re accented, with its unusual two-tone brightwork painted on the outer rim of the alloy rather than the spokes, it looks pretty intriguing. These aero-disc wheels might even aid with aerodynamics, if not for them looking cool. Additionally, with the N-Design trim, you get more blacked-out exterior trim pieces and panels. On the lower trim levels, they’d otherwise be finished in chrome, instead. And, our car here also has two-tone paint, with a black contrasting roof that complements this bright, metallic red paintwork beautifully.
How Does It Drive?
One aspect of the outgoing Qashqai that is making a return is Nissan’s e-POWER system. This is one powertrain that we’ve covered in extensive detail before, which was featured in other Nissan models. As I’ve maintained in those other reviews, e-POWER is actually a great stepping point for folks who aren’t 100% sure about electrification but still want to dip their toes into the pond. In the new Qashqai, this powertrain basically means pairing a 1.5-litre turbocharged inline-3 engine, with a tiny 1.8kWh battery pack, and a 140kW electric motor. As a result, you’re getting around 190hp and 330Nm of torque over the front axle.
This entails a relaxed 0 to 62mph time of 7.9 seconds, and it keeps going at a top speed of 105mph. What makes Nissan’s e-POWER hybrid configuration unique is how it drives the car. Essentially, the Qashqai’s driven wheels are only interacting with that aforementioned electric motor, not with the internal combustion engine. Meanwhile, the energy that’s powering that electric motor is supplied by the small battery pack, as that inline-3 engine functions as a generator and a range extender. It creates power either to charge the battery, or power that electric motor directly through an inverter.
In other words, with the Nissan e-POWER hybrid powertrain, you’re getting an EV-like driving experience, in that the electric motor delivers its electrifying, instantaneous torque. Yet, it does so silently and responsively, without needing to wait out for any turbo lag or having to wait for a conventional transmission to shift. At the same time, unlike a proper EV or BEV (battery electric vehicle), you don’t need to worry about range anxiety or needing to charge your Nissan Qashqai’s battery. Instead, just go to any petrol station, and a 3-minute top-up is enough to fill up the fuel tank and drive you a few hundred more miles. In so doing, you can enjoy driving an “electric” car, without the inherent flaws and hassles of owning one.
In fact, even when the engine kicks in, the Qashqai is remarkably quiet, too. Depending on the drive modes that you’ve set it to, or what the situation demands, the Qashqai’s e-POWER powertrain could either rely solely on electric power (with the engine staying off), have the engine be focused on recharging the battery, or have the engine kick in to provide power to the electric motor. When you’re not applying the throttle all too much, you can barely hear the engine. As far as actual fuel economy goes, the e-POWER model’s efficiency is a bit better than the mild-hybrid version, so you are gaining a noticeable 5 to 10 MPG improvement. With this e-POWER hybrid system, you’re averaging in the low to mid-50s MPG, which is pretty good. In the real world, it will all depend on where and how you use the car though of course.
However, where it does set it apart is how the two drivetrains feel. With the mild-hybrid powertrain, that engine and the electric motor are working in tandem to boost performance, while also reducing your tailpipe emissions and fuel consumption. At the same time, it mostly feels like you’re driving a regular car with a small engine. Meanwhile, with this e-POWER, you’re experiencing what it’s like to drive a proper EV, with some added peace of mind and the security of an onboard petrol-powered range extender to help you out, just in case. During my time driving it, there’s only the occasional hum and gentle drone of that inline-3 engine, unless you put your foot down 50% or more on the throttle. As I mentioned earlier, it’s super smooth, with seamless acceleration, and no gear changes to interrupt the drive.
It’s not 100% like a proper battery electric vehicle, nor do you get the same monstrous, relentless torque that you’d otherwise get with a more traditional EV. But, it’s still pretty good for a small crossover. As a daily driver, it’s an ideal set-up for commuting back and forth or hoovering about on the motorway. The Nissan Qashqai, with e-POWER, is an amazingly comfortable, quiet, and refined car to drive. Ultimately, if you’ve ever driven the outgoing Qashqai, this will feel rather similar. Dynamically, it handles itself quite well, to boot. It’s not a sports car, but on the windy, narrow, scenic Portuguese backroads that I got to drive this on, it moves swiftly on its feet, and the Qashqai coped well enough when you chuck it into a corner.
What Is It Like Inside?
With this N-Design trim level on the new Nissan Qashqai, it brings additional upholstery changes to the cabin. This mainly revolves around the use of Alcantara on pretty much most of your bigger touchpoints, such as the dashboard, door cards, centre console, and part of the seats. It makes for a surprisingly premium-feeling car for the money. It remains to be seen whether you want all that Alcantara in your Qashqai or not, whereas the other trim levels offer more durable leather, instead.
Nonetheless, for the sake of feeling posh and sumptuous, Alcantara does it for me. And, I think it complements the new carbon fibre-esque patterns that you get with the plastics in the new Qashqai very well. In particular, you’ll mostly notice these on the centre console and around the glovebox. The rest of the cabin on this new and facelifted Qashqai, on the other hand, is mostly the same as the old, outgoing model. However, that’s no bad thing, given that Nissan’s interior design is focused far more on practicality and usability rather than adding any gimmicky elements.
I do have a lot more to discuss with the tech and electronics inside this facelifted Qashqai, but for now, I’ll move on to the practical side of the Qashqai. After all, this is what matters most to folks who might consider buying a crossover SUV like the Qashqai. Thankfully, this facelifted model is pretty much identical to the outgoing model, so this means you’re getting very generous headroom, knee-room, and legroom for all your rear passengers. And, this is further completed with a sizeable boot space. Therefore, for anyone who was concerned that the redesigned exterior would impact usable space inside, you’ll be lucky to hear that it’s still the same, versatile family SUV that the old Qashqai was.
The Experience
So, about that tech… The facelifted Qashqai features a familiar infotainment system, which you’ll find in most other recent Nissan models. But underneath, this updated Qashqai is actually the first Nissan model in Europe to have Google built-in. This makes it so that once you sign into your Google account and pair it with your Qashqai (or not, and just use it in Guest mode), you can readily access all your favourite points of interest that you’ve stored, or check your location history with Google Maps. This has now been built directly into that 12.3-inch infotainment system. In addition to Google Maps, you could use Google Assistant as your digital voice assistant, and give hands-free commands to manage your car.
These include using it for adjusting the climate control or even controlling your smart home devices linked with Amazon Alexa. On top of that, you could download apps onto the infotainment system thanks to the Google Play Store. Once again, this is all built-in, rather than you having to wire in your phone to use this. Wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay are included, as standard. This makes the process of tapping into Google’s ecosystem way easier and more effortless than ever before. Plus, you could still access all those Google services even without your phone, whether you forgot your phone at home, or if the battery’s dead.
Otherwise, the rest of the infotainment system is really intuitive and easy to use, and it’s fairly responsive, to boot. Nissan’s thrown in a lot of tech in here, as well. Probably the coolest and the most useful here is Nissan’s 360-degree surround-view camera system. Using this, you can select between eight different external cameras, giving you a very clear look in pretty much any direction. As such, it gives you a top-down view of your Nissan Qashqai, along with the front, rear, sides, quarters, and so on. On top of that, Nissan has a handy “invisible hood” feature, where the cameras on the lower front of the updated Qashqai stitches pictures together as you’re driving along.
This now allows you to basically look at the lower front of your car as if there was never a bonnet there. So, between these and the wide-angle cameras, it offers you a lot of situational awareness of what’s around you, like raised pavements or roadside curbs. And, it makes trying to park the Qashqai or identify obstacles around you super easy. Other bits of tech in here that is worth mentioning is the return of Nissan’s tried-and-tested 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, which isn’t anything fancy, but it’s legible and easy to look at your readouts. Moreover, there’s an accompanying heads-up display in some trim levels, projecting additional information right onto the windscreen right in front of you.
Nissan Qashqai N-Design e-POWER Cost
The new and facelifted Nissan Qashqai range starts from £30,135. However, for the mid-tier N-Design trim, it starts from £34,845, but that’ll only get you the mild-hybrid models. Otherwise, if you want that e-POWER self-charging hybrid powertrain, you’ll need to cough up more for a starting price of £39,620, before any options. This is comparatively a pretty affordable car, given that you’re getting a hybridised powertrain, and once you consider how well-built and kitted out the Qashqai is. This is also helped by how Nissan includes a lot of stuff as standard equipment. Specifically on this N-Design trim, Nissan’s expansive suite of safety systems and driver aids are included. This encompasses the intelligent cruise control system, automated emergency braking, blind-spot intervention, blind-spot warning, and rear-cross traffic alert.
Elsewhere, you’re also getting, as standard, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-departure prevention, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, that aforementioned 360-degree surround-view camera system that we mentioned earlier, and more. By default, on this N-Design trim, you’re additionally getting some extra goodies, like Nissan’s Remote Control Services through a mobile app on your phone for stuff like door locks or to locate your car. There’s even a wireless charging pad for your phone, and there are USB-C charging ports for your rear passengers, too. Some additional perks include its adaptive headlight beams with an auto-levelling system, and fancy “follow me home” headlights, among others.
Verdict
As a complete package, this new, facelifted Nissan Qashqai is a refreshing update to the outgoing model. With that in mind, if you were already eyeing the old Qashqai, as you were cross-shopping with other hybrid SUVs or compact crossovers, this facelift is definitely worth considering. It’s all the same car underneath, with its super-efficient hybridised powertrain, refined handling, comfy ride quality, practical interior, and its usable design. There’s a good reason why Nissan has sold endless amounts of Qashqai SUVs around the world since it first came to be… It’s a really good, do-everything, easy-going SUV. Whether you’re planning on getting a Qashqai as a family car or just using it as a tall-riding, versatile daily drive, you won’t be disappointed.
Yet, following this facelift, the goad-old Nissan Qashqai is an even better package now. The interior is much more posh and luxurious, creating an atmosphere that makes spending long hours in it a superbly comforting time, indeed. Aside from that, there are a lot of meaningful tech improvements elsewhere, such as the inclusion of Google services natively, and that surround-view camera system. Nevertheless, if you like Nissan Qashqai’s revised appearance, it’s a welcomed update all around. Pair that with the remarkable e-POWER hybrid powertrain, and Nissan’s workhorse, accessible crossover SUV just got a lot better.
Specification
Nissan Qashqai N-Design e-POWER Specs
- Price: £39,620
- Engine: 1.5-litre inline-3 with e-POWER hybrid
- Power: 190hp
- Torque: 330Nm
- 0-62mph: 7.9 seconds
- Top speed: 105 mph
- Weight: 1,685kg
- Economy combined: 54.3mpg (WLTP)
- CO2: 117g/km