After a bit of a lull in recent months, Nissan are back with some new cars. I recently had a brief drive in their massive Ariya Nismo and I’m really looking forward to their electric Micra, which is due here early next year. My daughter’s first car was a Micra, and I reckon she will also be anxious to have a drive.
But last week, I was back in Nissan’s so-called ‘cash-cow’ the Qashqai, this time a refreshed version of their e-power version.
Nissan, with their Qashqai and Renault, with their Scenic, probably started this SUV craze over 20 years ago. The Qashqai has been a great seller for Nissan, and many other brands have copied their style over the years. A few years back Nissan reckoned that at least 14 other car manufacturers had copied their design and that figure is probably higher now.
I remember visiting the Nissan factory near Sunderland many years ago with a group of Irish motor writers where we saw a mixture of humans and robots combine to produce a new car coming off their assembly line literally every minute.
The Qashqai has evolved substantially since the original compact 5-door crossover arrived in Ireland in 2007. However, in recently years there has been strong competition from the likes of the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage, to name just two of its rivals. This latest version aims to reverse those sales trends and regain a significant market share for the Qashqai again.
With the e-power, the engine generates electricity which is transmitted to the battery, the electric motor or both, depending on power requirements. The electric motor is the only source of power for the wheels; it drives the wheels not the engine as is usual in most other cars.
You won’t notice much difference, but at various intervals and maybe when you start up in the morning, you will hear a bit of noise from the engine as it does the charging.
Nissan’s e-power electric-drive powertrain integrates a fuel-efficient 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor to produce a combined power output of 190bhp along with 330Nm of torque.
Nissan were one of the first with a fully electric, the Leaf, which is still popular as a second-hand car, while their electric Ariya is much larger than the Leaf and has a better range. The e-power version has lower emissions and running costs compared to a traditional petrol engine, but unlike a fully electric vehicle, you don’t have to plug it in. I did a lot of urban driving last week and I found that it wasn’t a thirsty engine.
Inside, there are no huge changes, but I think you will like the high driving position in this comfortable five-seater. The boot is massive, but no spare wheel.
Nissan recently announced an attractive ‘4K, Your Way’ offer which will allow customers to choose between a €4,000 finance contribution or a €4,000 trade-in bonus which can be put towards the cost of buying a new Nissan X-Trail, Qashqai, Juke or Ariya. In addition, 4.9% PCP & HP finance is also available for deals completed before the December 30th and can be combined with one of the ‘€4k Your Way’ offers.
Prices for the regular Qashqai 1.3-litre petrol with mild hybrid start at €39,900. The e-power version starts at €45,000. Road tax is €190.
No doubt there will be a fully electric version of the Qashqai in the coming years, but for now most Qashqai fans are, I think happy with the e-power.
