Nissan adds a new chapter to the successful Qashqai adventure. The brand is presenting the third generation of the SUV to the world, which will be launched on the market with the innovative hybrid e-Power powertrain, among other things. The new Nissan Qashqai can be ordered directly as a Premiere Edition. The first copies will be delivered in the summer.
Highlights
- 190 hp and 330 Nm strong electric motor for hybrid e-Power powertrain
- Also two mild-hybrid 1.3 petrol engines in the range
- Recognizable Qashqai, completely new base with lightweight materials
- Interior completely up to date again, expansion of safety systems
Since the introduction of the first generation Qashqai in 2007, the model has consistently been Nissan’s best-selling car in the Netherlands. Yes, for 14 years in a row. The Qashqai is also the absolute success of the Japanese at European level. It is therefore no wonder that this third generation fits seamlessly with the concept of its predecessors, but is packed with new technology.
Nissan Qashqai 2021
Design
The youngest Qashqai has to appeal to a large buyer group again and so Nissan takes a conservative approach. The Qashqai mainly looks like a tightly drawn version of the already well-known model. He cannot be denied some family traits with the new Rogue launched in the United States. The up to 20-inch light-alloy SUV has a Juke-like front with two-storey lighting. Slightly boomerang-shaped LED daytime running lights are now placed at the top and are therefore more or less separately from the regular flat headlight unit – with matrix LED technology – mounted. A V-Motion grille with a chrome V in between is of course not missing. Remarkable: Nissan now writes the model name Qashqai under the logo on the tailgate. In the shape of the rear lights, among other things, we observe influences from the IMQ Concept presented last year.
Nissan Qashqai 2021
Platform and dimensions
The youngest Qashqai is the first European Nissan to be on the CMF-C platform of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. This modular basis can already be found in the United States under the larger Nissan Rogue, an SUV that will eventually come to Europe as the new X-Trail. We expect to encounter this new platform in the long term under the next Renault Mégane and Kadjar. Weight savings were high on Nissan’s list of priorities as the new Qashqai, unlike its predecessor, will be available purely with heavier electrified powertrains. More on that later. The tailgate and fuel filler flap are made of a composite that saves about 2.6 kilos in weight. In addition, the doors, the front fenders and the hood are made of aluminum, which, according to Nissan, saves 21 kilos. The body consists of 50 percent more Ultra High Strength Steel (UHHS) than before. At the bottom of the line, the body is 60 kilos lighter, but has become 41 percent stiffer. That higher stiffness makes the Qashqai, according to its creators, a lot more dynamic together with a new suspension. The front-wheel drive versions have a torsion beam at the rear, but the four-wheel drive types have a multi-link system here.
A generation change is often accompanied by considerably larger exterior dimensions, although this is hardly the case with the new Qashqai. The model grows by 3.5 inches in length to 4.43 meters. The Qashqai expands in width by 3.2 centimeters. The wheelbase has increased by 2 centimeters. The legroom and headroom in the rear has been increased by making more efficient use of the available centimeters, and the luggage compartment has also grown a bit. With a volume of 504 liters, the luggage compartment is no less than 74 liters larger than before.
Nissan Qashqai 2021
e-Power
No, there will be no fully electric Qashqai. For an electric SUV in this class you will have to turn to the Ariya at Nissan. Yet there is talk of electrification. In fact, the SUV only comes on the market with electrified powertrains. Its absolute gem is the e-Power drivetrain. The Qashqai e-Power is electrically powered in all cases, but is therefore not an EV. The Qashqai e-Power has a petrol engine on board that supplies a small 2 kWh battery pack with energy as soon as the 190 hp and 330 Nm strong electric motor on the front axle requires power. Logically you will not get very far with only electrical power. The electric range without the support of the petrol engine is only 1 to 2 kilometers. The always front-wheel drive Qashqai e-Power consumes an average of 5.3 l / 100 km, according to Nissan.
The mentioned 1.5 is not just any block from the Renault-Nissan closet. It is a brand new 157 hp 1.5 turbo engine that is derived from the 2.0 with variable compression that Nissan presented a few years ago. So a first. Those who are used to the e-Pedal principle of the Leaf, among others, do not have to leave the Qashqai e-Power. Above 10 km / h you can also have it accelerate or slow down ‘with one pedal’. According to Nissan, the e-Power powertrain has several advantages over a regular hybrid powertrain. The electric motor responds just as directly to the accelerator as in a regular EV. You do not have noticeable transitions when switching between the gasoline and electric motor, as with normal hybrids. With this e-Power drivetrain you also benefit, at least on paper, from a linear acceleration that is characteristic of an electric car. But there are more benefits, according to Nissan. The control of the petrol engine is fully controlled by the car itself, which means that the power source always runs at the most efficient speed possible, which of course reduces consumption.
Nissan Qashqai 2021
Mild-Hybrid
Those who do not want a Qashqai e-Power can also choose from two mild hybrid petrol engines. Nissan is bringing a further development of the Renault, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz well-known 1.3, which it says on fifty points. The petrol engine in the Qashqai is always linked to a 12v mild hybrid system. Thanks to a starter generator, the car can store energy recovered in a small lithium-ion battery during coasting or braking. This energy is used, among other things, during acceleration and delivers 6 Nm extra pulling power between 20 km / h and 110 km / h for a maximum of 20 seconds. The Qashqai with automatic transmission, to which we will return later, is thanks to the system able to switch off the engine at a speed of 18 km / h during the roll-out.
The entry-level engine is a 140 hp and 240 Nm strong 1.3 DIG-T that is always linked to a manual gearbox with six gears, which is also a further development. The Qashqai with this engine and gearbox combination is always front-wheel drive. Higher up the ladder is a 158 hp and 260 Nm (270 Nm with automatic transmission) strong variant of the same 1.3. If desired, this is also available with Xtronic transmission, a CVT that simulates the presence of gears when the accelerator is pressed more than halfway. We already knew this machine with so-called D-step technology from the Juke, but thanks to the arrival of an electric oil pump in addition to the existing mechanical oil pump, it is now able to change ‘gear’ more quickly. This more powerful petrol engine is the only power plant that is also available in combination with four-wheel drive in the Qashqai.
Interior
It will come as no surprise to anyone that the interior of the new Qashqai is worlds apart from the workplace of the current model. Logical, since the ‘old’ model has been for sale since 2013 and has never been radically modernized over the years. It is done with the infotainment screen integrated in the center console. The new Qashqai has an infotainment system up to 9-inch, which is placed a lot higher and more or less protrudes from the dashboard. It is now on the same level as the instruments. Depending on the chosen version, the Qashqai also has a 12.3-inch digital clock shop. Less lavishly executed types simply get analog clocks with a digital display in between. The Qashqai will optionally have a color head-up display with a diameter of 10.8 inches. Versions with the more extensive infotainment system get a phone application with which you can unlock the Qashqai and with which you can activate the lights and horn. The Juke was previously introduced to this system. If you want, you can later ask Qashqai to adjust the temperature, for example.
Nissan Qashqai 2021
Anyone who orders their Qashqai with automatic transmission will look in vain for a conventional automatic transmission lever. Nissan has chosen to place a small selector stick in the middentunnel. The four-wheel drive versions have a rotary knob underneath that allows you to choose from the various driving modes. Nissan promises that the use of materials has improved considerably compared to the previous Qashqai. Nissan is also looking higher in the equipment. The new Qashqai will not only receive mood lighting that is visible in more places than before, but front seats with massage function can now also be ordered. Nissan also puts an electric tailgate and a Bose audio system with ten speakers on the delivery list, but these systems are not on the basic versions. Also available soon: an inductive charger for smartphones and a whole series of USB-A and USB-C ports.
Nissan Qashqai 2021
Security systems
Naturally, Nissan has paid attention to the passive and active safety systems. The now well-known ProPilot driver assistance system has been expanded with Predictive Forward Collision Warning and Intelligent Blind Spot Intervention. Rear Cross Traffic Alert is in turn expanded with Rear Automatic Emergency Brake. In tight bends, for example in a parking garage, Flank Protection protects you from damage to doors or sills. The Qashqai can park independently thanks to Parking Assist Pro Pilot. New software for the sensors also ensures that the operations performed by the semi-autonomous ProPilot system are a lot smoother than before. In addition, the Qashqai can take corners at a higher speed in ProPilot mode and, because the system is linked to the navigation system, the car also brakes for roundabouts. The Qashqai can also accelerate or brake on the highway itself if the maximum speed changes. Lane Keep Assist now also works below 50 km / h. Equally interesting: every Qashqai gets LED headlights as standard. The aforementioned adaptive LED matrix viewers are reserved for the higher positioned versions. Also new: an extra pop bag between the front seats.
Prices and availability
Prices of the regular versions of the new Nissan Qashqai are not yet available, they come in the run-up to the market launch that will take place in the summer. However, a special Premiere Edition can be ordered immediately. The Qashqai Premiere Edition is available with the mild hybrid powertrains. The Nissan Qashqai Premiere Edition has a starting price of € 40,390 as a Mild-Hybrid 140 with manual gearbox. The Qashqai Premiere Edition Mild-Hybrid 158, so with the more powerful 1.3, changes with Xtronic automatic transmission from € 44,390 from owner. Qashqai’s Premiere Edition will be delivered in the summer.
The Premiere Edition is, as expected, quite in its stuff. Not only does this introductory version have a 9-inch large infotainment display on the center console, the 12.3-inch large digital instrumentation is also standard. The same goes for the head-up display. The Premiere Edition includes four USB ports and the updated ProPilot system. LED matrix viewers are standard. The Premiere Edition can be recognized from the outside by its two-tone color scheme and has silver roof rails, among other things.