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Nissan Qashqai review
“The Nissan Qashqai gets some worthy improvements as part of a chunky facelift. Does the job admirably, not really one for the enthusiast. Obviously”
Good stuff
Well-priced in the more basic grades, decent space, nicely-equipped, a do-it-all car for families
Bad stuff
Bland to drive, annoying ADAS, not the prettiest thing
Overview
What is it?
Nissan’s big-selling, mid-sized SUV gets a few choice changes in the latest iteration – though nothing that would scare a current Qashqai buyer, of which there have been some four million since the first one appeared in 2007. So this is bigger news than it might appear.
There’s a new face (grille, lights, bumpers), new lights and bumpers on the back, more advanced driver assistance and better connectivity, and a bit of a tweak to the interior. The drivetrains stay the same (the e-Power is the big seller); one of the last ICE-involved powertrains before everyone plays at 100-percent electric.
There are also mild hybrid versions of various power outputs (the DIG-T) which also offer the option of all-wheel drive.
Space and practicality are both good – Qashqais were always a very Goldilocks proposition for a lot of family transport in terms of exterior size vs usefulness – and it’s well-priced. In a world of expensive EVs, a true family SUV starting at just over £30k feels good value. The e-Power starts at £34,430 mind, so be aware of that, even if it is the big-seller.
It is not, however, particularly inspiring on the move. Perfectly acceptable, but if you’re a TG reader you probably want to at least stay awake when driving, and the Qashqai is bland enough to sleepwalk through. It’s the glass of water of the automotive world; it’ll keep you alive, but it won’t tickle your tastebuds.
Talk me through the changes on the outside?
Ok, so the good news is that you can’t mistake the new Qashqai for the old unless you squint. It does look decently different, though the overall proportions are obviously the same; a mid-sized SUV with a fairly amorphous profile. The grille has expanded into a giant squished hexagon – plated in scales that are inspired by Samurai armour, don’tcha know – the edges of which now stretch right out to the sides of the car.
Below are re-profiled bumpers, above are LED headlights and slim daylight running lights. At the back there’s the same vibe, with slimmer rear lights that present as monochrome when dormant – and clearer and crisper when on – with a deeper red for the brake lights. Again, the rear bumper gets a massage, and there are new designs for the alloys, now up to 20-inches and including 18s and 19s.
Interestingly, you can get an ’N-Design’ grade that body-colours more of the styling elements (sills, wheelarches) and costs the same as the Tekna grade. Not sure which one we prefer, but it does make the car look a tiny bit more premium… which is what Nissan was going for. Generally it’s as per the Qashqai of old: a bit forgettable, but inoffensive.
Is it really a new Qashqai?
Debatable. If this sounds like a load of tweaks, you’d be right. Fundamentally it’s the same car, but there has been attention paid to a host of different areas. The interior has new materials – the Alcantara dash wrap being actually quite nice – and there’s now a 360-degree camera for kerb-free parking, Google included in the Nissan Connected system and a host of other advanced driver assistance upgrades. It’s definitely not a root and branch change, but more keeping up with the Joneses.
Worth noting that a lot of the ‘upgrades’ are byproducts of must-be-included new GSR2 rules that mandate the amount of safety tech, so Nissan is bigging-up some stuff that it had to include anyway. TG isn’t sure the ‘transparent bonnet’ feature (where the cameras give you a projected direct line of sight to the front wheels) was entirely necessary, mind.
Even Nissan seemed like they felt they were stretching it when they mentioned that the use-case they investigated for the tech was ‘lining the car up with the rails in an automatic car wash’. That sort of thing is useful in an off-roader, less so in a not-so-big family car.
Read More https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/nissan/qashqai-0
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