Nissan Qashqai e-POWER road test review: Clever drive train refreshes a UK-built favourite

Nissan Qashqai e-POWER road test review: What do you get if you mix a petrol engine, a battery and an electric motor? DAVID HOOPER explains how Nissan’s clever e-POWER drive train refreshes a UK-built favourite.

Nissan’s Qashqai has been around for many years now, but it’s still a hugely popular model with UK buyers which is built in the UK at Nissan’s sprawling Sunderland plant.
Four million of them have been built since the car was originally launched in 2007, and while this one might look like a slightly refreshed Qashqai, which it is, the changes in this e-POWER model are much more than skin deep and feature an alternative take on embracing electrickery to power vehicles.
But before we get into all that, I have to say I loved the Fuji Sunset Red paintwork of this example, which, combined with a panoramic glass roof and an impressively premium interior, made this latest Qashqai an agreeable place to spend some time. The glass roof allows light to flood into the cabin and the passengers to have a different perspective on the world, especially from the backseat, which was appreciated by my parents as we passed Humberside Airport as a plane was coming in to land!
So what’s e-POWER all about, you may ask. The system uses a combination of a turbo-charged 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, an electric battery… and an electric motor, which is where those who were thinking, “oh it’s a hybrid” may take a breath and reconsider. With this technology, the petrol engine never drives the car’s wheels directly, only the electric motor does that, taking its power from either the electric motor, the battery, or both, depending how the car is being driven in any given situation.
The pure electric motor direct drive system to the wheels means no gearbox is needed and you get a rapid, high torque and linear response to the throttle pedal, providing a driving experience like that of an EV, but without the need to ever plug the car in to anything more than a petrol pump.
The petrol engine is programmed to provide the electricity in relation to vehicle speed so that the engine and vehicle speed are aligned – they don’t have to be, but it would feel really weird if they weren’t!
It works well on the road, with the Qashqai having a turn of speed which took me by surprise when I let it loose during an A-road overtake – I saw the old Qashqai we know and love in a different light! It drives very well, is compliantly damped and comfortable with good road manners, and during my test of 463 miles the car averaged 43.2 miles per gallon.
The car’s technology has evolved too, and this Qashqai is the first of Nissan’s European range to feature Google built-in as part of the NissanConnect infotainment system which allows customers to sign in with their personal Google account to access their info while on the move. “Hey Google” allows the driver to control the ventilation system, heated seats and to navigate to their next destination, as well as make phone calls and listen to audio instructions.
I think the latest Qashqai is sharply priced, and comes packed with equipment and an impressively premium feel inside, with a large screen sitting on top of the dash from which you can control your apps including the sound system which features Bose speakers.
Our Qashqai test car was very nicely appointed with a combination of slush moulded plastics and Alcantara material on the front face of the dashboard, the door cards and armrest, continuing the theme from the nicely sculpted seats which feature quilted upholstery, perforated leather and contrasting white stitching.
The centre console of the car has a carbon fibre look to it, as does some of the dashboard trim. There are two cupholders a large armrest with two USB C connectors and a place to put your smart phone while you are driving, where it can be wirelessly charged if your phone is one of the latest models.
The drive selector is positioned on the centre console and gives you a choice of Eco, Standard or Sport settings. There is also a switch to activate the electric vehicle mode when the battery has enough power to propel the car and an e-Pedal switch which allows the car to use regenerative breaking and put charge back into the battery as the vehicle is slowing down.
Cruise control radar allows the car to follow the vehicle in front and adjust speed according to the traffic conditions, but on empty motorways with slight bends it can sometimes pick up a truck in the near side lane and react to it when there is no reason to do so, which can be a little disconcerting, but it’s not just Nissan, other vehicles have the same issues.
Like most new cars they are becoming overbearingly safety conscious with so many things that beep at you if you dare to reach a speed limit or try to straighten out a bend, or a roundabout, or even stray to the edge of a lane on a motorway, but thankfully Nissan allows the driver to customise the assist functions and turn off some of the more interfering assistance modes which makes the car far more agreeable to drive and instead of searching through several layers of menus as was the case in a recent test car I drove, you can simply select your Driver Assist menu and the car will revert to your preferred settings.
There’s a lot to like with the latest Qashqai, and as we plunge into the darkest, coldest months of the year, its heated front seats will not only keep you warm, they will also massage both the driver and front seat passenger while the driver is also afforded the luxury of a heated steering wheel and a heated windscreen which is a real boon should we get some more frosty mornings.

Rating:

If you like this, read our review on the Nissan Leaf

THE VITAL STATISTICS
MODEL: Nissan Qashqai Tekna+ e-POWER 2WD
ENGINE: 1497cc, 190bhp four-cylinder petrol engine, driving front wheels through an automatic gearbox.
PERFORMANCE: Top speed 105 mph. 0-62mph in 7.9 secs.
ECONOMY: Combined: 53.3mpg.
Wheel World test average: 43.2mpg
CO2 EMISSIONS: 119g/km.
FUEL TANK: 55 litres.
PRICE: £43,725
WARRANTY: 3 years/60,000 miles
WEBSITE: www.nissan.co.uk
• All data correct at time of publication.