Nissan Qashqai e-Power drive by Steve Rogers
Here’s
a good quiz question. Which electric car gets its power from petrol?
I
can hear you saying ‘there’s got to be a catch’ which is the reply I got when I
threw it in at a party. No one came up with the answer and there is no catch.
The
Nissan Qashqai e-Power.
Qashqai
is unique in that the petrol engine generates power for the battery that feeds
an electric motor that drives the car. A clever stop-gap solution until we have
to go all electric. Here you have the ease of a quick refuel rather than
hooking up to a charging post.
That
is not going to happen too often either with the e-Power capable of more than
600 miles from its 55 litre tank. I know because I covered all but 500 miles
and still had 134 miles left averaging 56mpg and on longer runs topping 70mpg.
On one slowish 15 mile drive my return was an astonishing 80mpg. This is a
massive increase on the previous e-Power when my week’s average was 43mpg.
The
Sunderland built Qashqai e-Power debuted in 2024 and has just had an upgrade to
keep pace with the stream of new plug-in hybrids. Body styling stays the same,
there was no need to tinker it looks fine as it is. The upgrades have increased
power, lowered emissions and improved fuel efficiency by 15 per cent and my
figures can vouch for that.
The
extra power comes from a new 1.5 litre 3-cylinder petrol engine fitted with a
bigger turbocharger to deliver more torque. A sprint to sixty takes just over
seven seconds which is quicker than before. In sport setting it feels feisty
although not quite as free flowing as the plug-in hybrid Geely Starray reviewed
last week.
An
area that needs improvement is the ride. It is not awful and is happy enough on
well tarred surfaces but the story changes on pitted B roads. Here you really
feel the thuds coming through the chassis, something also noted by my
passengers.
Qashqai
has always been a roomy family SUV crossover, wide enough for three adults
across the back with enough legroom for six footers. The wide hump in the
middle of the floor cuts into leg space and there is no sliding or reclining
seat found on some rivals.
Boot
space is not the best but plenty big enough although you do lose 49 litres in
this top Tekna+ model because of the big sub-woofer under the boot floor. A
useful feature is a raised split board that can be slotted into the floor
creating a small compartment. Good for keeping shopping bags in place.
The
cabin generally gets a big plus for two reasons. First it feels quality with
warm alcantara fabric breaking up the plastic surfaces along the dashboard and
door cappings.
The
layout is excellent with a touchscreen supported by a bank of switches for
heating and other key features. Even the steering wheel controls are logically
linked to the info strip in the driver’s display and although I would have
liked a simple switch for lane assist I memorised turning it on or off from the
steering wheel.
As
for technology it has been revamped with Google mapping taking over the air
upgrades and security that allows the car to be monitored, sending a warning if
the car has been tampered with or towed. Voice control is efficient, just ask
Google and it will change the radio station, set a destination or adjust the
heating.
Tekna+
has a long spec sheet but the driver safety aids stand out with adaptive cruise
control, emergency braking, including for pedestrians, and rear cross traffic
alert making this a safe space.
Nissan
was the first company to introduce a surround camera and that has developed to
cover just about every eventuality. It is up there with the best.
The
e-Power is another milestone in Qashqai’s remarkable story which now spans 20
years. Honda will argue it invented the SUV crossover a decade earlier with the
CR-V but no one took any notice, yet everyone latched on to the Qashqai formula
so much so that they are the most popular cars on our roads.
The
biggest threat to e-Power is the flood of Chinese plug-in hybrids and given the
choice I would go for the cheaper, roomier and well equipped Geely Starray, but
it is a very close call.
What
the wife says: My pick is the Qashqai. It is good to drive, has all the
features I want, and you don’t have to do everything through a touchscreen
which I find a dangerous distraction.
Favourite
feature: The massive panoramic roof.
Fast
facts
Qashqai
e-Power Tekna+
£43,210
( range starts £34,860)
1.5
litre petrol; 201bhp
0-62mph
7.6secs; 105mph
61.4mpg
combined
105g/km.
1st VED £405
Boot:
504 - 1447 litres
Insurance
groups: 16-30
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