Nissan's new Qashqai heading to NZ with e-Power

Wednesday, 15 September 2021

Nissan's edgier, techier and greener Qashqai is here.

Nissan has confirmed the new Qashqai SUV will arrive in New Zealand next year, with a decent array of standard spec and a new e-Power hybrid powertrain, coming later next year.

The Qashqai has been given lots of new creases and edges, angular boomerang-shaped headlights and a few cues pulled from the forthcoming all-electric Ariya SUV.

“The new Qashqai is the perfect example of style meeting substance, from its sleek exterior design and premium cabin to its advanced safety equipment and powerful yet efficient engine options,” said Nissan New Zealand Managing Director, Ben Hamilton.

“Bigger, smarter, safer, and more spacious, the new Qashqai is everything our customers are looking for in their next SUV, all wrapped in a stylish and well-equipped package, across the range.”

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Nissan has given the Qashqai more safety tech this time around.

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The rear is a bit more subtle than the front.

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Every model gets a digital instrument cluster too.

The local range begins with the Qashqai ST, which offers 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, automatic LED headlights and daytime running lights (DRLs) as exterior features. Inside, it has a seven-inch digital instrument cluster and an eight-inch infotainment screen, which has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.

Nissan has given the base model a suite of active safety features, including adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, cyclist and junction detection, rear AEB with pedestrian detection (which automatically brakes if you’re reversing and it detects a potential collision), lane departure warning/prevention and blind spot warning/prevention.

Thrust is now sourced from a 1.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder making more power with less emissions than before.

It also gets traffic sign recognition, driver attention alert, high-beam assist, parking sensors front and rear, a parking camera.

Additionally, every Qashqai is also equipped with a new central airbag, which deploys from between the two front seats, to prevent the front-row occupants from making contact in the event of a side-impact.

A new e-Power version is coming too, due later in 2022.

Moving up to the ST+, this model adds LED fog lights, 18-inch alloys, auto wipers and a sat-nav-equipped nine-inch infotainment screen, which supports wireless CarPlay. An ‘Around-View Monitor’ (AVM) with moving object detection is also added to the safety equipment.

The Qashqai ST-L gets unique 19-inch alloy wheels and adds adaptive driving beam headlights, along with privacy glass, roof rails and LED turn signals. In the cabin, there is an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, while the leather-accented seats are heated in the front, and include an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat. Factor in wireless phone charging and dual-zone climate control.

Finally, the Qashqai Ti will again be the top-tier model, with a panoramic glass roof and electric sunshade, a unique rear bumper finisher, a black headliner, ambient interior lighting and roof racks.

Cabin comfort and technology features include a 10.8-inch colour head-up display, a 12.3-inch driver’s instrument display, and a premium 10-speaker BOSE audio system, while the seats are accented in 3D quilted leather, and include memory and massage functions for front-seat passengers. The tailgate is also motion activated.

Safety equipment is further bolstered by Intelligent Park Assist, supported by the addition of Side Sensors.

Power will initially be sourced from a new turbocharged 1.3-litre four-cylinder, making 110kW/250Nm. That’s an increase in output over the old 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine, which made 106kW/200Nm, while also decreasing consumption and emissions to 6.1L/100km (down from 6.9L/100km) and 138g/km of CO2.

The engine is paired exclusively to a new CVT transmission, which apparently will delivery better acceleration feel thanks to a 14 per cent ratio coverage improvement and a 29 per cent friction reduction. A mild-hybrid system can jolt an extra 6Nm to mask low-RPM lag when needed.

Later in 2022, Nissan is expecting to launch the range-extender e-Power Qashqai, which operates like the similar system in the e-Power Note. Unlike a conventional hybrid, which uses an electric motor to assist a petrol engine, e-Power works as a range-extender by employing a large electric motor to drive the wheels, while a 1.5-litre three-cylinder combustion engine acts solely as a generator for the battery.

In the Qashqai, the electric motor produces around 140kW/300Nm. It also gets the ‘e-Pedal’ from the current Leaf, which allows for one-pedal driving.

“We call e-Power a best-of-both-worlds solution, offering a driver the key benefits of an EV drive experience without ever having to plug in,” said Hamilton.

The Qashqai should handle better this time around too, thanks to a multi-link rear suspension set-up. Nissan says this configuration allows the wheel placement on the road to remain optimised through direction changes, as well as camber changes, most noticeably on roads with poor and bumpy surfaces.

Nissan is yet to confirm pricing for the range. We’ll probably get that as we get closer to 2022.