Review: Nissan Qashqai

There’s no denying that Nissan’s Qashqai has been a phenomenal success for the Japanese manufacturer.

It’s been around for 18 years and it is fair to say it kickstarted the love affair for SUVs that has remained a constant ever since.

In the three or so years since the third generation Qashqai was launched, it has sold more than 350,000 units in Europe. It is claimed to be the fastest-selling car ever in the UK and has been a phenomenal success for Nissan. And to cap it all it is made in Sunderland.

The facelifted model rolled off the production lines in early 2024 after a more than £30m upgrade was carried out to the equipment and infrastructure of the factory.

New Qashqai has a more dynamic front with a really impressive-looking front grille, said to have been inspired by the patterns found on ancient Japanese armour scales. It has new and more efficient headlights and the rear lights have undergone a minor tweak.

Wheels are diamond cut alloys - 18in to 20in depending on grade - and there are new body colours: Pearl White, Deep Ocean and Pearl Black.

An extra grade has been added - N-Design - which is even bolder than the others. This and the grade below (Tekna+) have padded Alcantara interiors on just about every conceivable surface. Ambient lighting with different settings adds to the luxury feel of the cabin.

Technological upgrades include a crisper and clearer around-view monitor which now has eight different camera points on the 3D function. Together with the moving object detection system it alerts the driver to hazards in the proximity of the vehicle.

My favourite addition though has to be a full complement of Google services - a first for Nissan Europe. The previous model had some Google software but now the system is fully voice-controlled using the command Hey Google to the on-board assist.

Don’t like Google Assist? Then there is the option to upgrade with a subscription to Amazon’s Alexa.

The interior is capacious and five adults can get comfy with plenty of room for all with generous head and legroom and a decent-sized boot.

Qashqai is powered by the excellent e-Power petrol engine. In common with other such systems, the petrol engine generates the electricity which drives the wheels and produces instant response. During braking, even more electricity is generated and sent to the battery.

There’s another very clever function. Set the e-Pedal Step and the drive is controlled by the accelerator. Remove your foot and the car will come to an almost stop with the brake only needed for the last few yards. One pedal motoring at its most efficient.

The autonomous braking systems have also been sharpened and other bits of the safety kit tweaked. Since its launch in September 2022, Nissan has sold more than 140,000 Qashqai e-Power models so its fair to say it has been a bit hit with customers. Industry experts like it as well and it has already won a load of awards.

Fact File Nissan Qashqai Price: £39,620 (£40,365 as tested) Engine: 190 e-Power Power: 187bhp Torque: 243lb/ft Transmission: six-speed manual Top speed: 105mph 0-62mph: 7.9 seconds Economy: 54.3mpg CO 2 emissions:117g/km