Qashqai quality comes at a price

While the latest model is a huge step up in refinement, sophistication, styling and safety, price is its biggest roadblock to success here. PHOTO CREDIT: SUPPLIED

It’s fascinating to look back at new models launched here 18 months ago that were touted as having the ability to shake and stir our market, to see if they delivered on those expectations.

One of these vehicles is the latest dapper looking new Qashqai compact urban SUV, that comes with a creative fuel saving low emission hybrid power train and a host of safety connectivity technology.

In the UK, the Qashqai, has been hitting it out of the park for Nissan, sales-wise.

While the latest model is a huge step up in refinement, sophistication, styling and safety, price is its biggest roadblock to success here. It is built in the UK and has to be shipped halfway around the world to our shores. That adds costs, and that costs this model plenty. Sadly, that includes any real shot at success here, which is a shame, because it’s a pretty decent compact urban SUV.

You do get more Qashqai for your dollar with this latest iteration — it is bigger across the board. It is 4425mm long (+31mm), 1625mm tall (+30mm), and 1835mm wide (+29mm), while the wheelbase has grown to 2665mm (+19mm). It rides on a new platform, with increased torsional stiffness thanks to greater use of ultra-high-strength-steel, giving it the resilience to withstand the rough stuff dished out by our poorer roads. Despite all this strengthening, the body shell tips the scales at 60kg less than the model it replaces.

There are some interesting variations that add more variety in the powertrain department, too, with a pint-sized but punchy 1.3-litre turbo petrol and the option of Nissan’s innovative e-POWER hybrid system. The latter, carries a hefty $7k price premium, over the turbo petrol motor.

Petrol, not e-power dominates the six-strong model range comprising four petrol variants starting with the price leading $46,120 ST and tracking through to $57,120. The more exclusive E power hybrid club is limited to the upmarket Ti and Ti-L, priced at $60,120 and $65,120 respectively. The Ti-L E power was chosen for this road test. The optimistic pricing makes the Qashqai one of the more expensive models in its class. It doesn’t look such great value for money when you can purchase its larger sibling, the X-Trail e-power with similar specifications, for another $1200. This buys you a large well–appointed AWD SUV that should have superior resale, whenever you are ready to trade up or cash up at any point down the track.

Most hybrid systems use an electric motor and a petrol engine to drive their wheels. Nissan’s E power turns that notion on its head with its wheels powered exclusively by an electric motor. Nissan’s E power system was first seen in the Japanese market but only in the mini-sized Nissan Note hatch in 2016.

The second-generation E power technology in the Qashqai is the same as the Nissan X-Trail, and turns up to work and play with effortless acceleration and refined performance. It’s a strong high-energy performer with 140kW of power and 330Nm of torque taking charge and doing everything so effortlessly. Thanks to the pure electric motor, there’s none of the power-delivery hesitancy associated with an internal combustion engine or traditional hybrid systems, just seamless and seemingly endless get up and go. In the lighter Qashqai, the power-to-weight ratio is more favourable than the heftier X-Trail, giving it a noticeable performance edge.

A CVT (Constant Variable Transmission) offers improved fuel economy thanks to better ratio coverage that reduces both friction, and the vehicle’s appetite for fuel. The gearbox has three drive modes: Eco, Normal and Sport. There is one to suit your driving mood and style to fully explore the Qashqai’s considerable talents.

For a compact urban SUV, it is roomier than most, with plenty of passenger and load space. The Ti-L supplied for this road test is the jewel in the Qashqai crown, that dazzles and seduces with a bevy of luxury features.

There’s a panoramic glass roof and electric sunshade, a black headliner and ambient interior lighting. Cabin technology features a 10.8-inch colour head-up display, and a premium 10-speaker BOSE audio system. The seats are made of 3-D quilted premium leather that would look more at home on the luxury furniture in gentrified country manor. You will come to love the motion activated tailgate during those times when your hands are full with the weekly grocery shop that needs loading into the boot. Getting them loaded in there is easy and stress free. Simply wave your hand or foot at the boot tailgate and it opens right on cue, to take a load off your mind and arms.

Nissan Intelligent Mobility safety features live up to their star billing. I could spend ages rattling off all of these, but here are some of the standouts: intelligent cruise control, forward emergency braking, plus, pedestrian, cyclist, and junction detection capabilities. There’s also peace-of-mind, must-have safety kit, such as lane departure warning and departure prevention and blind spot warning.

High beam assist takes away the tedium of dipping your headlights at night for on-coming traffic.

The Qashqai has the handling jump on several of its competitors, as Nissan has opted for an advanced multi-link rear suspension. This configuration means it excels when needing to adjust in an instant to sudden direction changes, or contorted road cambers. I saw the benefits of this suspension arrangement when the test car was navigating a badly-worn and uneven road surface. The up-side with this suspension set-up is a stronger connection between driver, vehicle and road. What more could you possible want? Well-controlled body-roll and the effective ousting of road noise and vibrations from the passenger compartment, are impressive. If you had to be picky, the steering, even with its revised ratios offering quicker corner turn-in response, still does not feel as well resolved as rest of the vehicle.