MOTORING REVIEW: Qashqai e-Power: fuelled by petrol, driven by electric

THE Nissan Qashqai has been one of Ireland’s favourite cars since the Japanese carmaker pioneered the crossover segment in 2007 with almost 60,000 Irish sales since then, so a great many Irish families have grown up with the model.

An updated Qashqai with improved e-Power and a mild hybrid variant was introduced here towards the end of last year with a refreshed and modern design along with upgraded technology. Nissan say they have reimagined the car so it can better meet the everyday needs of drivers, especially those with families big and small. 

This is a crossover car with a more muscular and sharper look; the front grille has been completely modernised for a more striking first impression. There are also new headlights and the rear bumper has been reshaped for a sleeker, flashier, sportier look. My latest Nissan review was the refreshed Qashqai e-Power version which had special e-Power badges on the sides and rear to distinguish its powertrain from the mild hybrid version. 

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The interior now has a more premium feel with upper grades featuring a new application of suede-like Alcantara on the dash, door inserts, door armrests, and centre storage lid, along with updated seat trims. Quilted leather seats looked good and proved extremely comfy; the driver’s has power adjustments including lumbar support and two memory settings while the front passenger’s seat has manual adjustments. 

A huge panoramic sunroof helped provide light and an airy feel to the cabin. 

There are comprehensive updates to the infotainment and connected services on-board. The 12.5-inch infotainment touchscreen has Google built-in as part of the Nissan Connect infotainment system so you have Google Maps and Google Assistant that allows drivers use their voice for hands free help while on the go. Both the infotainment screen and driver’s cluster - which shows your current speed and power source - have black backgrounds and colourful graphics. My car also had a good Head Up Display on the windscreen showing my current speed. 

A wireless phone charger and two type-C USB ports are located up front, with two more USBs in the rear. 

The automatic transmission gear lever is on the wide central console along with an EV and an e-Pedal button.

The rear is spacious enough with good leg and headroom that is not affected by the end of the sunroof; but there’s no through hatch to the boot. 

A power tailgate opens up the 504 litres of boot space that can increase to 1,447 litres with rear seats down and there’s a skinny spare below the floor.

Features included the 3D Around View Monitor system that allows the driver see the car from above when reversing and from eight different external camera view points to help when parking. A bonus is that you can also see the position of the front wheels as if you are looking at them from just behind, so helpful for manoeuvring into tight parking spots such as multi-story car parks. 

The e-Power spec includes 18- or 19-inch alloy wheels, full LED headlights, auto headlights with high beam assist, auto wipers, rear parking sensors, Intelligent Cruise Control, Intelligent Forward Collision Warning, Front Emergency Braking with pedestrian, cyclist and junction assist, full auto park plus flank protection. Numerous software upgrades arrived during my time with the car but didn’t say what exactly they were for. 

Nearly 250,000 e-Power equipped vehicles have been sold in Europe since its introduction in 2022. The e-Power system allows drivers enjoy the benefits of EV driving without ever having to plug in the car to recharge it. It  is comprised of a high-output battery complemented by a 1.5 there-cylinder turbo-charged petrol engine generating 156 and a 140kW electric motor. The petrol engine is solely used to charge the battery that powers the electric motor to drive the wheels. The electric motor is the sold source of power. The system uses regenerative braking to help keep the battery charged so it recharges on the move. 

This system leads to superior fuel efficiency and lower C02 emissions compared with a traditional internal combustion engine making it ideal for urban or suburban drives as you can drive in EV mode 100 per cent of the time, unlike with traditional hybrids. Drive modes are Sport, Standard and Eco. 

On the road, I mostly opted to use the ‘one pedal’ driving experience called e-Pedal Step where you drive using just the accelerator pedal for both acceleration and deceleration very useful in stop-start traffic. 

The rear view mirror reaches too far down into the windscreen impeding my view of lower traffic lights on busy streets; but I appreciated the good blind spot cover on side mirrors and the HUP display lane warning alerts right in my line of vision. 

Qashqai, including the e-Power version, was awarded a maximum 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

The MY24 1.3 petrol MHEV from €39,900; SV Tech e-Power A/T €51,400.00