Nissan Qashqai – we got the power!

RESTING on its laurels was never an option for Nissan and its British-built Qashqai crossover.

With a plethora of awards and accolades for its comfort, dynamics, economy and heralded e-POWER technology already in the bag, the Japanese brand took steps to further boost the appeal of its mid-size crossover with a raft of upgrades.

It means the Qashqai now has a more striking face courtesy of high gloss comma-shaped elements floating in the front grille, a new diamond-cut alloy wheel design, red lighting features at the rear plus a fresh colour palette.

Move inside and patterned materials adorn the centre console while there’s now Alcantara around the cabin and 64 different shades of ambient lighting.

And the car’s on-board tech now includes an around-view monitor with 3D camera offering eight external viewpoints, the ability for drivers to make a safe entry from a difficult exit onto a road where visibility is limited and built-in Google features.

But perhaps the most compelling quality of the 2025 Qashqai is something guaranteed to appeal to drivers who want to embrace the move towards electric motoring but without going fully EV.

It’s called e-Power and unlike traditional hybrids its wheels are only ever driven directly by the car’s electric motor.

The result is an EV driving sensation without the need to think of charging – a stepping-stone for customers who aren’t yet ready to make the switch to 100 per cent electric.

It uses a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine and lithium-ion battery to generate electricity and drive the wheels, so the response is similar to an electric car with instant torque and without needing to plug it in.

Tailpipe emissions are lower than a combustion engine car, as are running costs, and e-POWER also uses regenerative braking to keep the battery topped up.

You’re left with not only the most powerful Qashqai on the road but also the most efficient – in fact the nearest thing to a full electric car without actually buying one.

As for economy, the e-POWER will return an average 53.3 miles per gallon compared to the 44.1mpg of other mild hybrid Nissan variants with a 1.3-litre petrol engine, meaning the Qashqai should be good for 644 miles on a tank of fuel compared to the regular model’s 526 miles.

Among the principal reasons for the Qashqai’s popularity is that it’s a straightforward, common sense type of vehicle in that everything in the cabin is simply laid out with traditional rotary dials, sculpted seats and plenty of stowage options.

So there are cup-holders front and back, a deep lidded central container, a glovebox, gaping door bins plus a rubber matted tray below the dash.

Buyers also get a 12.3-inch NissanConnect display screen with layouts for entertainment, sat nav and traffic or vehicle info plus DAB radio, Bluetooth, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Headroom and space for legs is first class all round and three adult passengers can sit comfortably across the back, where the rear seats split and fold flat 60:40. The large boot is split level too.

Safety is also of paramount importance and includes features like forward collision warning, emergency braking, cruise control, lane intervention, parking sensors, blind spot warning and moving object detection.

Out on the road the e-POWER feels refined, composed and spirited with a 0-62mph acceleration time of 7.9 seconds with a potential top speed of 105mph. It’s a seriously accomplished car all round.

Our tested model in flagship Tekna + trim cost £42,980, plus £745 for the optional Fuji Sunset Red two-tone paint, and came extensively kitted out with the likes of 20-inch diamond cut alloys, a powered tailgate, head-up display, 10-speaker BOSE sound system, quilted leather upholstery, wireless phone charging pad and a 360-degree colour camera.