- e-Power system brings impressive efficiency
- Grown-up drive prioritises comfort over excitement
- Interior decently trimmed and intuitive
The model that kick-started the SUV revolution is still going strong, with powertrain innovation boosting its appeal.
Overview
Generally seen as having launched the trend for SUVs replacing family hatchbacks when it arrived two decades ago, the Nissan Qashqai has been a fixture near the top of the UK new car registration charts for most of its lifespan and is the third best-selling car here so far in 2026. The latest, third-generation version of the medium SUV arrived in 2021, and was subsequently facelifted in 2024. The update included revised front-end styling, with changes to the grille and headlights (which we actually think look a bit awkward relative to the rest of the car). The facelift also brought new taillights, alloy wheel designs and paint colours, along with upgraded interior materials and updates to safety and infotainment systems.
Two powertrain options are available, one of which is Nissan’s novel e-Power system. This features a 1.5-litre petrol engine that does not directly power the wheels – instead it charges a 2.1kWh battery, which in turn sends power to an electric drive motor. This makes the model effectively an EV to drive (though there’s no option to plug in and charge) and it therefore comes with EV-style single-speed transmission. Max system output is 205PS, and 330Nm of torque.
The Qashqai is also available with a 158PS/270Nm petrol mild hybrid engine, which comes with a choice of manual or automatic transmission. All Qashqais are front-wheel drive.
Where Nissan led with the Qashqai, every other major manufacturer followed, making the medium SUV segment one of the most competitive parts of the new car market. Noteworthy rivals include the Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson and Ford Kuga.
Pricing and spec
The Qashqai range includes Acenta Premium, N-Connecta, N-Design (new with the 2024 facelift), Tekna and Tekna+ trim levels. On-the-road prices start at £30,665 for a mild hybrid Acenta Premium, and rise as high as £43,225 for an e-Power Tekna+.
Standard features with Acenta Premium trim include 17-inch alloy wheels, a reversing camera, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and dual-zone automatic climate control.
The N-Connecta trim we tested adds features such as 18-inch alloys, silver roof rails, wireless smartphone charging and customisable ambient lighting, while the N-Design trim comes with further features such as 20-inch alloys, body-colour lower bumpers, two-tone paint, an all-black front grille and LED sequential indicators.
Tekna trim features 19-inch alloys, a panoramic glass roof, a 10.8-inch head-up display, a hands-free powered tailgate, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, while Tekna+ spec comes with 20-inch alloys, massaging front seats, a driver’s seat and door mirror memory function, a Bose sound system and multi-link suspension.
Service intervals are one year/18,000 miles with the mild hybrid powertrain, and one year/12,500 miles with e-Power. The Qashqai comes with Nissan’s standard three-year/60,000-mile warranty.
The starting price for the Qashqai range is closely matched with the Sportage and Tucson, and nearly £3,000 less than the Kuga. As for the e-Power N-Connecta spec we tested, priced at just over £38,000, this comes in a few hundred pounds cheaper than the equivalent Kuga, but just over £1,000 more expensive than the equivalent Sportage and Tucson. Those after a more budget alternative could also consider the Dacia Bigster and MG ZS.
Technology
All Qashqais come with a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, and all but Acenta Premium cars also come with a 12.3-inch driver display (Acenta Premium cars get a 7-inch display). The infotainment screen is nicely responsive with permanent shortcut icons usefully placed down one side, and (again excepting Acenta Premium cars) features built-in Google services. Scrolling between the different bits of information available on the driver display – which can include sat-nav instructions from Apple CarPlay – is also reasonably intuitive.
Temperature controls are thankfully via a row of physical knobs and buttons below the touchscreen.
Safety
Standard driver assistance systems include intelligent front and rear emergency braking, blind spot warning and intervention, rear cross traffic alert, driver alertness monitoring, lane departure warning and prevention, and traffic sign recognition. From N-Connecta spec up there’s also a 3D around-view monitor system which was introduced with the 2024 facelift.
Drivers who wish to deactivate the overspeed warning and lane assist systems can do so via two presses of a button on the steering wheel (enabling custom settings).
When running at low speeds with the engine off, the Qashqai e-Power emits a tone to alert pedestrians to its presence which is audible in the cabin as a slightly strange hum. There’s also a chirping warning noise when reversing.
The Qashqai received a four-star safety rating from Euro NCAP in 2025, scoring particularly well for occupant protection, compared with its scores for vulnerable road user protection and safety assist systems.
Driving experience
Having first introduced the e-Power system on UK Qashqais in 2022, Nissan updated the technology in 2025. Improvements with the latest version included a 15% increase in fuel efficiency, a 12% reduction in CO2 emissions and a 15PS maximum power boost, as well as increased service intervals and a claimed reduction in noise.
The driving experience with e-Power is at its most EV-like around town, with smooth and largely silent progress interrupted only occasionally by the petrol engine chiming in to charge the battery – although since the engine’s operation is not directly linked to the accelerator pedal it can rev up at unpredictable times, such as when coasting along at a steady 30mph or even when stopped at traffic lights.
At higher speeds the drive is more like a regular hybrid – put your foot down accelerating out of a village or onto a motorway and there can be – though isn’t always – a brief pause before the petrol engine joins in and provides charge to propel you forward at a speed more than adequate for a family SUV (0-62mph is officially possible in 7.6 seconds). The engine isn’t too noisy when it does this, and of course the drive is generally smooth with the EV transmission.
The Qashqai e-Power also exploits its electric drive arrangement by featuring the one-pedal drive mode Nissan first introduced with its full EVs, which when activated allows the car to come to a complete stop via increased levels of regenerative braking.
We achieved 54.5mpg during our time with the Qashqai, which was mostly made up of A-road and motorway driving. An official WLTP combined figure of 62.8mpg beats full hybrid versions of the Sportage, Tucson and Kuga.
It’s not just the Qashqai’s powertrain that’s smooth – this description can also be applied to the model’s ride. It glides along quite nicely, with a welcome pliant quality to the suspension that insulates the cabin well from ruts and bumps in the road (possibly helped with our test car by the N-Connecta trim’s relatively modest 18-inch wheels). Certainly, the Qashqai is much more of a cruiser than a driver’s car – it feels fairly leaden and not very agile in bends, with rather lifeless steering. Overall, there’s a grown-up feel that’s much more suited to wafting than blasting down a country road – which we suspect will suit most buyers just fine.
Practicality
Given that the N-Connecta trim is closer to the bottom than the top of the Qashqai range, we consider the quality of its cabin materials to be decent. There’s a good amount of synthetic leather, including on the dashboard and around the centre console, and good quality plastics in important areas. There’s also a reassuringly robust feel to items such as the indicator stalks, and a premium-style gear selector that slides back and forth (not that this is any more useable than a conventional lever).
There’s a good range of driver’s seat adjustment including electric lumbar support – however we think it’s disappointing that heated seats aren’t included below Tekna trim.
Rear legroom is fairly good, and there’s plentiful headroom even with the optional glass roof fitted to our test car. Rear passengers get dedicated air vents and two USB-C charging ports.
The boot has quite a high lip, but at 504 litres is a decent size, albeit not among the biggest in this segment. A split adjustable floor (standard with all but entry-level Qashqais) allows plenty of flexibility in creating a multi-level or divided load space if required. With the floor at its upper level the rear seats fold very near flat – a maximum space of 1,447 litres is available.
