Nissan Australia launched the Qashqai e-Power, its second series-hybrid model, last week on a drive program from Melbourne to Hepburn Springs, taking in Victoria’s fire-ravaged west.
The weather was glorious just a few days into March — and not a drop of rain in sight.
Of course, the Qashqai needs little introduction.
It was launched in Australia as the Dualis in 2008 and is pitched at the, err, urban nomad (hence the name, which derives from a semi-nomadic Iranian tribe) with its perky styling and compact good looks, half-way between a hatchback and an SUV.
In 2023, it was Nissan’s fourth-best seller here after the X-Trail in top spot, followed by the Patrol wagon and Navara 4×4 — but came up against tough competition in the busy small SUV segment (under $45,000) with 6614/4.5 per cent sales, which is well behind top dog the MG ZS on 29,258/19.9 per cent sales.
Can the new e-Power variant swing the balance?
It’s being released in Australia this month in just one flagship grade — the top Ti — priced at $51,590 plus on-road costs, putting it at $4200 more than the petrol-only Ti and $17,700 more than the entry Qashqai ST ($33,890, plus on-road costs).
It was a similar scenario with the X-Trail e-Power (with e-4orce) at launch; only Ti and Ti-L grades were initially offered with the hybrid technology, which has now been extended to the lower-spec ST-L — all, also, with a $4200 price premium over their petrol-only engine siblings.
Nissan Australia would not be drawn on whether it would extend the Qashqai e-Power range, or give any timing on this.
“We know Australians love the driving dynamics of the X-Trail e-Power, and we are thrilled to offer this innovative technology on a second model, expanding its potential further,” Nissan Australia managing director, Adam Paterson, told a media briefing at launch, noting the Qashqai was the UK’s top selling car in 2022.
Significantly, all Qashqais for all markets are made in Nissan’s UK Sunderland plant, which opened in 1985 and also produces the Juke and Leaf.
Qashqais in Australia are (front) two-wheel drive and all variants have a five-star ANCAP safety rating.
The drive
It’s a 400km-plus round trip over two days, the first leg clocking up about 300km from Melbourne Airport on a scenic, circuitous route to Hotel Bellinzona at Hepburn Springs via Ballarat for lunch at Boatshed Restaurant on Lake Wendouree.
Along the way we take in Wildwood, Sunbury, Woodend, Tylden, Broomfield, Castlemaine, Malsbury and Daylesford to put the Qashqai to the test through some of Victoria’s prettiest regional towns.
“There are no bushfires today” an electronic sign reads — a grim reminder of the past few weeks.
We’re warned to expect delays with emergency crews and vehicles, but this 48 hours, at least, goes smoothly — though the countryside is unusually dry and brown.
The Ti spec is luxe, with quilted leather seats, which have a massage function at the front, and a full suite of driver assistance and safety technology, including a surround-view monitor with crystal-clear display.
I’m driving with Alan Zurvas from Gay Car Boys, and you can take it from him, the 10-speaker Bose sound system stacks up.
Now for the engine.
Think of it as a stepping stone to an EV — without the need to plug in.
The Qashqai’s e-Power system consists of a 2.1kWh battery, a variable compression ratio (VCR) 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, a power generator, an inverter and an electric motor — with a combined system output of 140kW and 330Nm, which is more than the ICE equivalent.
Unlike traditional “parallel” hybrids which can use the electric motor and the engine to provide mechanical power simultaneously, a “series” hybrid uses only its electric motor to drive the wheels.
Think of the petrol engine as the power station which generates electricity that’s sent via the inverter to the battery pack, the electric motor or both, according to driving scenario.
Note, battery capacity is bigger than that found in traditional hybrids and VCR ranges from 14:1 when needing high efficiency to 8:1 when needing more power.
Unlike conventional hybrids, it uses only its electric motor to drive the wheels for smoother, quicker and quieter acceleration.
Nissan Australia says a “linear tune” is integral to the design of the e-Power tech. This means the petrol engine spins at an appropriate speed relative to road speed — typically low in urban and suburban conditions — avoiding the “rev-up” effect of traditional hybrids under hard acceleration.
Without a doubt, the Qashqai e-Power offers the best of both world’s in the happiest of cars.
“Ugh, where’s the steering assist; ah got it,”Alan says, pushing the button at the bottom of the dash.
We’re different.
I turn it off because I find it too intrusive. He likes it.
I find the steering too light (more on this later); he tells me it’s not something he gets too worked up about these days given all the tech in cars.
Point taken, it has to be light enough for the lane and steering-assist functions to work.
Enough about the car. We talk life and love, scoffing coconut ice and hedgehog slice, on a meandering drive that takes in a range of speed limits with little traffic on roads.
Acceleration is silky smooth, with instant torque from standstill — minus the oomph of a full EV.
There’s no gearbox and minimal noise; only the sound of wind over wing mirrors at speed and the occasional whir and rumble when pushing it hard. Suspension is on the firm side.
I engage e-Pedal Step all the way (Alan doesn’t at all) because it allows you to accelerate and brake using just the accelerator, sort of like i-Pedal on an EV — though it is more designed to take the repetitive strain out of stop-start urban driving.
It’s activated by the switch on the centre console and upon full release of the accelerator, e-Pedal Step brakes the Qashqai at 0.2g, enough to illuminate brake lights, and reduce the speed down to a “creeping” speed, not a complete stop. This ensures, say, parking manoeuvres are as smooth as possible.
On winding roads it allows me to take bends more confidently by easing off the accelerator to varying degrees, so I don’t need to hit the brakes — but cruise control is definitely a no-go in these conditions.
There’s also an EV mode, which gives you 2-3km of range at low speed, once the battery is fully charged and may be useful on the school run.
Tyre pressure (we’re driving on 235/50 R19 Continentals) is eventually dropped because it creeps up to 40PSI in some instances — and accounts for the steering feeling a bit too light for my liking, which goes to show the importance of treads to ride quality and handling.
There are three drive modes — eco, normal and sport — each resulting in a different amount of regenerative braking.
For families with children, there’s plenty of space at the rear— and Alan who’s six-foot tall (at least he reckons he was when he got his licence) can vouch for that, taking the back seat all the way back to Melbourne without a complaint in the world.
Of course, the big question is fuel efficiency.
Both the Qashqai with e-Power and ICE have a 55 litre fuel tank, with Nissan Australia general manager of advanced product planning Warwick Daly estimating the e-Power has up to 1000km of driving range while using 15 per cent better less petrol than ICE variants.
We averaged 5.3 litres/100km over a 413km trip, which took in some urban driving through small towns, compared with 5.2L/100m on the specs.
Claimed fuel consumption for the Qashqai ICE is 6.1L/100km (the best I got on a breezy 110km test drive highway run in 2023 was 6.6 litres/100km, otherwise I was sitting on the mid-to-high 8-litre range on daily suburban trips).
Take note of pulling power if you plan to hitch up a trailer — the Qashqai e-Power is a heavier car but its maximum braked towing capacity is 750kg compared with 1500kg for the ICE Qashqai.
Source Agencies
