FORECOURT
NISSAN QASHQAI E-POWER Under the bonnet
The 1-5-litre petrol engine combined with an electric motor puts out 187bhp and 330Nm of torque.
THE KNOWLEDGE Nissan Qashqai e-Power Tekna+ Price (as tested): £40,980 Engine: 1.5-litre petrol-electric Power: 187bhp Torque: 330Nm Max speed: 105mph O-60mph: 7.7 seconds MPG (combined): 53.3 Emissions: 119g/km CO2
Does a hybrid version of Nissan’s best-seller make it more attractive? Ted Welford headed to Stockholm to find out. WHAT IS IT? The third-generation Qashqai launched last year, debuting with mild-hybrid engines, but Nissan is now expanding its appeal further, with the launch of a new e-Power version. Bringing full hybrid technology (although Nissan doesn’t actually call it a hybrid), it further electrifies Nissan’s line-up. WHAT’S NEW? Rather than running on petrol or electric, this system uses the petrol engine to generate electricity, helping to make it drive more like an EV. This electric motor is then the sole power source driving the wheels, which makes it quite different to other hybrids. Powertrain aside, there aren’t too many differences, although the e-Power benefits from the new, larger touchscreen that’s recently been rolled out across the rest of the Qashqai line-up. WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? Mild-hybrid Qashqais use a 1.3-litre petrol engine, but a new 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol is adopted for the e-Power and it’s the swiftest Qashqai on sale by far. We suspect the efficiency gains will be of more interest to customers, though. With a big sales target for the Qashqai being fleet, those reduced CO2 emissions will be welcome (the regular car emits around 145g/km), while it’s also around 9mpg better on fuel. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? It’s relatively responsive and feels particularly quiet on the move as well. Really put your toe down, however, and the engine does make itself heard. The e-Power also carries over Nissan’s e-Pedal from its Leaf – essentially a sharp regenerative braking system that lets you drive it for the most part with just a single pedal. As you ease off the accelerator, the car automatically slows, adding to the ‘electric’ experience. Nissan’s ProPilot semi-autonomous driving features also really take the stress and hassle out of busy and congested traffic, with its systems being among the best. HOW DOES IT LOOK? Bar some relatively subtle e-Power badging and a slightly different grille pattern, this looks the same as any regular Qashqai, and although views are always subjective, we reckon that’s no bad thing.
30 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
