Say hello to…
…the new Nissan Qashqai which has undergone a mid-life facelift with new front and rear lights and bumpers but more impressively the cabin has been given a substantial overhaul with new infotainment system and much improved materials on the dashboard and doors.
Underneath, the Nissan Qashqai retains its 190hp hybrid powertrain based around a 1.5-litre petrol engine and an electric motor coupled to a small battery.
This E-power hybrid system runs mostly with the petrol engine operating as a generator, when needed, to charge the battery. In turn this powers the front wheels. The battery also charges via regenerative braking. However, under greater acceleration, the engine can also directly power the wheels.
Nissan has also changed the trim levels which now look like this:
- Acenta Premium
- N-Connecta
- N-Design
- Tekna
- Tekna+
Standard equipment on the Acenta Premium includes 18-inch alloys, intelligent cruise control, auto rear braking, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, high beam assist, lane keeping, rear view camera, rear parking sensors, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, 12.3-inch touchscreen, 2x USB sockets dual zone climate control, auto wipers, drive modes and keyless start.
N-Connecta adds wireless phone charger, auto-dimming rearview mirror, Google assistant and uprated surround view.
N-Design adds 20-inch alloys, part Alcantara leather seat trim, two-tone paint and LED rear sequential indicator lights.
On top of N-Connecta, Tekna adds 19-inch alloys, powered driver’s seat with memory, memory key, head-up display and powered tailgate plus LED rear sequential indicator lights.
Tekna+ adds Alcantara trim and two tone paint.
Is the Nissan Qashqai suitable for my fleet?
As with the previous generation Qashqai, plug-in cars aren’t for all and the next best option for lower mileage drivers is a full hybrid such as the Qashqai. With the Qashqai, Nissan has always excelled at producing a car that suits as many people as possible. It’s well constructed, incredibly well thought out and practical as well as supremely easy to use. And now the mid-cycle update has brought the infotainment tech up to speed too.
Leasing a Nissan Qashqai
Intelligent Car Leasing is offering the Qashqai for £441 a month on a 3+36 10,000 miles a year contract for the Tekna+ specification model. Gensen Reports forecasts a maintenance cost of £75 a month.
Driving a Nissan Qashqai
The mid-cycle upgrades to the Qashqai have targetted the areas that needed to be improved and ignored those that didn’t.
Most significantly, the Qashqai now uses a new infotainment system powered by Google. The up-side is that this means it’s really easy to use and for those running other parts of their online life through Google everything will connect up.
Nissan has also improved the way the regulated safety systems are operated and these can now be deactivated with just two button presses (after a one-off set up) rather than 15.
However, our test car suffered a technical issue that saw the main Google infotainment screen and system fail to start up for several minutes on a couple of occasions. A software update may have been needed.
What’s not changed (and didn’t need to) was the way the Qashqai drives.
Visibility is excellent thanks to a high driving position and pillars that don’t particularly obstruct your vision. The steering is light and precise and the suspension is set up for just the right level of comfort without there being too much bodyroll when cornering. The brakes are well-judged in terms of progression and the e-Pedal regenerative function is smooth to use. The only issue with the e-Pedal function is that you have to activate it each time you start the car.
The Qashqai’s cabin and seats add to the overall sense of ease of use. The seats are comfortable while all the technology is logically laid out.
Verdict on the Nissan Qashqai
A great all-rounder, now with a higher quality cabin, and an easy car to recommend to any business user who can’t live with a plug-in car.
Nissan Qashqai
- Model: Qashqai Tekna+ E-power
- Power: 190hp
- Torque: 330Nm
- Max speed: 105mph
- 0-62mph: 7.9s
- Official fuel: 53.3mpg
- Test fuel: 47.3mpg
- CO2 emissions: 119g/km
- BIK tax band 2024/25: 28%
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
Why not join the conversation on SME fleets – visit our LinkedIn SME Fleet Discussion page