Chip and tuck
The third gen Qashqai has been with us little over a year but already there’s a new version It’s arguably a version it should have launched with being a pioneering take on hybrid technology that’ll almost immediately account for half of Qashqai sales
The e Power suffix might suggest it’s a fully electric car but the truth is a little more complex The front wheels are powered solely by a bhp electric motor but the battery that feeds it isn’t fed by plugging the car in overnight rather there’s a bhp litre petrol turbo engine in the traditional spot under the Qashqai’s bonnet acting as a generator which you’ll feed in the usual way with gobsmackingly priced petrol
But this isn’t some unexpectedly hot crossover with a wild combined power output The engine merely potters away in the background ensuring the kWh battery never runs dry assisted by a variety of levels of regenerative braking to ensure you don’t pump fuel through the e Power at the rate you do a normal Qashqai
Nissan doesn’t quote a zero emission range rather suggesting that it’s a couple of miles on paper but much further in reality This is a powertrain that’s always adjusting its behaviour to your driving The engine will run as little as possible and in truth you’ll barely notice it when it does kick into life Active noise cancelling technology works a treat at muting the engine’s sound and it’d be very sudden and spirited acceleration that’d cut through it
It’s the quickest Qashqai ever for whatever that’s worth with a secs mph time All while offering per cent better fuel economy and emissions than a stock litre Qashqai that’ll hit the industry’s accelerative benchmark at least a couple of seconds later
Prices start at and at all spec levels it’s around two grand more than an equivalently specced ‘normal’ Qashqai with an automatic gearbox Given the extra performance and economy on offer it feels like good value and it’s probably safe to assume this’ll be more desirable secondhand boosting its future value
Nissan basically made the buying public fall in love with the crossover and while the Qashqai remains the bestseller in its class in Britain where it’s also built its maker claims competition from the car’s now plus rivals is making it tougher than ever to hold top spot If you’re keen to dip your toe into the world of EVs but have no ability yet to charge one perhaps the ubiquitous Qashqai has just gained an increasingly vital USP