The Qashqai e-Power Hybrid drives most like a fully battery-electric SUV, which means big benefits in smoothness, quietness and comfort. Photo: Supplied.
Don’t be fooled by the name of the newest Nissan Qashqai.
It’s called the e-Power but it’s not fully electric like the company’s battery-only Leaf. Instead, it’s the second hybrid for Australia from Nissan – after the larger, family-sized X-Trail – using the company’s impressive and innovative electric-drive system.
In the car world, the label that fits best for the Qashqai is ‘’range-extender hybrid’’. So the combustion engine, in this case a 1.4-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder, only runs to keep the battery charged. It never drives the wheels. The result is a car that drives most like a fully battery-electric SUV, which means big benefits in smoothness, quietness and comfort. It’s also pretty swift.
The Qashqai Hybrid is not cheap, with a $51,590 price point not helped because it only comes with the fully loaded Ti package, but the claimed fuel economy is just 5.4 litres/100 kilometres and there is plenty of ”stuff’’ in the equipment department.
A slightly sporty suspension tune makes the Qashqai more enjoyable on twisty roads. Photo: Supplied.
After an earlier drive in the e-Power X-Trail, which is one of the better cars in its class, the Qashqai is no surprise. It’s one of the new-generation of SUVs from the Japanese maker and Nissan has done an impressive job – much like the X-Trail – on equipment levels, the quality of the trim pieces, and the standard equipment.
It’s Nissan doing some of its better work of recent years, making it easily comparable to an equivalent Hyundai or Kia and arguably better than similar cars from Toyota.
So the Qashqai Hybrid ticks the boxes for people who want their car to reward them – with big display screens, wireless infotainment synching, a glass sunroof, rear air-conditioning vents and both USB-A and USB-C plug-in ports.
The Qashqai features Nissan’s impressive and innovative electric-drive system. Photo: Supplied.
One neat trick is active noise cancellation for the cabin, which plays an alternative frequency to hugely reduce road noise inside the car. It all contributes to a premium-level SUV experience.
The performance of the e-Power is solid, not as startling as lots of the latest electric SUVs, with a slightly sporty suspension tune that makes it more enjoyable on twisty roads, with only a slight penalty in the ride comfort over bumps and broken bitumen.
The Qashqai Hybrid ticks the boxes for people who want their car to reward them – with big display screens, wireless infotainment synching, a glass sunroof, rear air-conditioning vents and both USB-A and USB-C plug-in ports. Photo: Supplied.
The 1.5-litre petrol engine is mostly silent, but at slower speeds you can feel and hear it kicking into action to keep the battery topped up. But there is none of the ”slip-and-slur’’ sound of most conventional hybrids, which are always balancing petrol power with electric drive to get the best economy.
It all amounts to an impressive package that makes the Qashqai e-Power a powerful rival to similarly-sized hybrids from Japan and South Korea – and a likely winner for many buyers.
Nissan Qashqai Hybrid
- Position: Compact efficient SUV
- Price: From $51,590
- Engine: 1.5-litre petrol turbo hybrid
- Power: 140kW/330Nm
- Transmission: Single-speed auto, front-wheel drive
- Plus: Quiet, plush, effective
- Minus: One model, costly
- THE TICK: Successful RAV4 rival
Score: 8.4/10.
