Car News

CAR NEWS FEBRUARY 2021

By Dhiren Ganesh

In this month’s article we look at new electric versions due in 2021 and beyond including the return of an old classic model.

2021 Nissan Qashqai – this is the new Qashqai from the Japanese brand who is looking to move thing on again in the world of SUVs. There will be a 1.3 petrol and new e-Power hybrid available, with the diesel engines dropped. The petrol engine will have two outputs 138bhp and 155bhp, both with mild hybrid technology to improve CO2 emissions. The new e-Power unit, which uses a 188bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine and an electric motor which is used to drive the car almost all of the time. You will find premium materials inside the new Qashqai, plus it will have a digital instrument display and a 9.0in infotainment touchscreen. The new infotainment system is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay phone mirroring, the latter wirelessly, and it provides wi-fi for up to seven devices. The new Qashqai is wider and longer than the outgoing car, and it has 50 litres more boot space. It will be on sale from Spring this year and expected to be priced from £23,000. – is this Mercedes EQA family SUV and the second of the 10 electric EQ sub-brand vehicles planned to launch by 2025. In entry-level form, the front-wheel-drive EQA 250’s single electric motor provides 188bhp with faster and four-wheel versions to follow soon after. The EQA’s energy is stored in a 66.5kWh battery. A maximum charging rate of 100kW allows a 10-80% top-up in around 30 minutes or an 11kW charging point will take less 5 hours. You can use the car to tow up to a capacity of 750kg – which would allow for a small trailer or install a bike rack. Inside, you’ll find either two 7.0in displays or two 10.3in displays for the digital instruments and infotainment system. It will run the Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system which has been well received on other models. It will have 18in alloy wheels, a reversing camera and LED lighting all coming as standard kit, with many more options which can be added. Safety equipment includes lane-keeping assistance and automatic emergency braking that uses several cameras and radar to detect hazards. It will on sale this summer and prices expected to start from £42,000 and it should be eligible for the Government’s £3000 grant for electric vehicles. 2023 Renault 5 electric car – the Renault 5 is back after it was replaced by the Renault Clio in the mid-1990s, this time as an electric car. It is planned to go on sale in 2023 and replace the current Renault Zoe. Its design is a modern take on the old Renault 5, and features plenty of callbacks to the original car, from its bluff front end to its sloping hatchback rear. It is expected the power is likely to come from a single electric motor driving the front wheels, and the new 5 should be able to travel for at least 200 miles on a single charge – more than the 192 miles from the Zoe. Inside you can expect to see a digital dashboard, a central infotainment touchscreen which is capable of mirroring your smartphone using Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Prices are unknown at the moment but likely to be more than the current Zoe priced at £29,995.