A pioneer in the compact SUV segment, the Nissan Qashqai has been overtaken on the European market by its rivals Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage, while the Peugeot 3008 steals the show on the French market.
These three models do not only stand out on pragmatic criteria, their assertive style also allows them to underline their singularity. Nissan therefore wanted to review the appearance of its Qashqai to restore its appeal.
Thus, while two heavyweights in the category have just offered themselves a new generation, namely the Volkswagen Tiguan and Peugeot 3008, Nissan has decided to restyle the third version of its Qashqai, which appeared in 2021. The bulk of the change is concentrated on the front, which evolves much more than that of the freshly restyled little brother Juke. Here, the V-shaped grille grows a lot and is decorated with comma patterns.
The two-part headlights blend into the grille. At the rear, the lights do not change shape, but adopt a transparent glass. The rest of the developments are very subtle. The Qashqai receives new N-Design and N-Design+ finishes, which are distinguished by body-color painted elements, while new colors are also offered (Pearl White, Kuro Black, Cayuga Blue).
The interior changes significantly less than the exterior, with a dashboard that is still very classic. At least, the Qashqai retains ergonomics that will not destabilize its customers, with numerous physical controls for ventilation in particular. Some materials are changing and we note the presence of Alcantara on the dashboard, the door panels and the armrests of the high-end versions.
Nissan uses Google services
But the biggest novelty is only noticed after switching on the ignition. Thus, if the central screen still measures 12.3″ diagonal, it adopts a new interface already seen on the restyling of the Nissan Rogue, the American version of the X-Trail. It is based on Android Automotive OS with a significant overlay. The presence of Google services induces that of the Google Assistant, the Play Store, to access numerous applications, or even Google Maps as a native navigation system.
In accordance with the new GSR 2 regulations, some of the driving aids of the restyled Qashqai are activated automatically each time you start. For those who would like to deactivate them easily, Nissan however offers to find their personalized settings via a double press on a dedicated button, as with Renault, with the difference that this control is located here directly on the steering wheel.
Still two levels of hybridization, but all traction
Under the hood, there is still an entry-level 12 V mild hybrid gasoline engine. This is the four-cylinder turbo known as the 1.3 TCe at Renault. Here it develops 140 hp in the six-speed manual gearbox version, or 158 hp in the automatic version with the Xtronic continuously variable transmission. The four-wheel drive version nevertheless disappears from the French catalog, leaving only traction versions.
But the most popular version of the Qashqai is now its 190 hp e-POWER hybrid version. It operates in series hybrid mode only, which means that its 1.5 turbo three-cylinder never directly drives the wheels. It is, however, used to recharge the 1.8 kWh battery and power the 140 kW (190 hp) electric motor, which powers the front axle. If Nissan likes to compare its technology to driving an electric vehicle, remember that gasoline is the only input energy here.
The facelifted Nissan Qashqai will be launched this summer. Its prices have not yet been communicated.