Nissan Qashqai e-Power Review

Read Caroline’s Nissan Qashqai e-Power review for everything you need to know about buying Nissan’s new hybrid SUV in Ireland.

The Nissan Qashqai is one of Ireland’s favourite family cars since it was first launched back in 2007. Now in its third generation, Nissan has added the new e-Power to the Qashqai range. It joins the petrol mild hybrid and goes on sale priced from €42,500.

It’s a form of hybrid that uses a petrol engine to generate electricity to charge a battery that powers an electric motor to turn the wheels. This gives it an unrivalled smooth driving quality, while also lowering carbon emissions and benefiting fuel consumption.

So is the new Nissan Qashqai e-Power the one to have? I took it for a test drive to find out.

What’s so special about the Nissan Qashqai e-Power?

The latest Nissan Qashqai launched in Ireland in 2021 and is a big step up from the model it replaced. It has grown in stature with real kerb appeal when compared to rivals in the mid-size SUV segment.

Nissan’s striking new ‘V-Motion’ grille sits at the front, with some simple lines giving it an understated but smart look. There are some subtle styling differences between the Qashqai mild hybrid and the Qashqai e-Power including a stylish gloss black strip across the top of the grille and some additional ‘e-Power’ badging.

The Qashqai e-Power is more expensive to buy than the mild hybrid, which starts from about €35,100 with a manual gearbox or from €41,300 with a CVT. However, the e-Power starts with a slightly higher specced SV trim (from €42,500) followed by SV Premium (from €45,900), SV Tech (from €48,900) and SVE (from €51,900). 18-inch alloy wheels come as standard, with higher trim levels adding larger wheels.

The Qashqai e-Power also has more power (190hp) than the mild hybrid (138hp manual/156hp CVT) and lower carbon emissions, making it a cleaner engine overall.

Driving the Qashqai e-Power

On the road, the extra power of the e-Power is apparent, as is the supreme smoothness of the transmission. It’s a clever system that avoids the clumsiness of some hybrid set-ups with a smooth, consistent delivery of power with a push of the accelerator.

The e-Power uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine as a generator to charge a small capacity battery on board, which powers the electric motor to turn the wheels. The engine works in the background and never directly drives the wheels. That’s why there’s an immediate, silent, smooth delivery of power from a single gear automatic transmission – almost like driving an electric vehicle – which was a key consideration in the development of this car.

Nissan also says that the e-Power can be run more efficiently than the mild hybrid. Over a week of mixed driving my average consumption was 6.7 litres per 100 kilometres. There’s the possibility to drive the car on just the power from the energy stored in the battery without the engine active, in short bursts in low speed town and city driving, lowering the overall consumption. There’s also the e-Pedal step mode, which is similar to one pedal driving, controlling the car just with the accelerator, like in the Leaf and Ariya.

Elsewhere, the Qashqai is a steady and agile drive, with good insulation from road and wind noise. It’s comfortable by class standards, with just a touch of firmness over bumps and ruts in the road surface.

Inside the Qashqai

The Qashqai has a simple, minimalist cabin that stands out for its solid build and plenty of soft touch materials. It’s all very easy to navigate, including traditional dials and buttons to control the ventilation.

But for the full digital experience you will want to go up to the SV Premium trim level for a full digital instrument panel and large 12.3-inch touchscreen and a wireless smartphone charger. Though all versions do come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Other standard features include a parking camera, dual zone automatic climate control and a full suite of safety equipment.

The top of the range SVE model on test is expensive but it does come fully loaded – it even gets heated, massage seats!

The Qashqai e-Power and Qashqai mild hybrid are identical when it comes to cabin and boot space. The rear bench will seat three with plenty of legroom and headroom, though taller adults might have to slouch a little. The rear doors open at almost 90 degrees, which makes this car even more family-friendly.

The boot is not class-leading but there’s still a generous 504 litres with a split floor that boosts practicality.

Did you like it?

Nissan is moving forward in the right direction with new electrified options joining some of their most popular ranges including the Juke, Qashqai and X-Trail.

The brand also recently launched the new all-electric Nissan Ariya.

The Nissan Qashqai is a great family crossover offering a blend of style and practicality that keeps it among Ireland’s bestsellers.

The e-Power hybrid is a good option for the Qashqai, offering a smooth and refined drive, while being reasonably efficient too.

But whether you go for the mild hybrid or the e-Power, Qashqai is a great choice of family car!

Model tested: Nissan Qashqai e-Power SVE
Price: €51,900
Engine: 1.5-litre petrol electric hybrid
Power:  190 hp
Torque: 330 Nm
Acceleration (0-100 km/h): 7.9 seconds
CO2 emissions: 120 g/km
Motor Tax: €190 per year

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Written by Caroline Kidd

Founder and Editor of Changing Lanes, Juror for Irish Car of the Year