Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER 2024 Review

The 2024 Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER Ti is priced from $51,590 plus on-road costs, which is quite expensive for a small SUV from a mainstream brand.

It represents a $4200 price hike over the petrol-only QASHQAI Ti, and like that vehicle it comes chock-a-block with premium equipment including a massive single-pane panoramic glass roof, a trio of digital screens, big alloy wheels, the list goes on.

The QASHQAI e-POWER Ti is the first and only hybrid-powered small SUV model grade offered by Nissan at present and, contrasted with the entry-level 2024 Nissan QASHQAI ST (from $33,890), is a whopping $17,700 more expensive.

Nissan is expected to release cheaper versions of the QASHQAI e-POWER ‘electric drive’ hybrid in due course, but for now rivals like the Hyundai Kona Hybrid and Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid start much lower, from around $36,000, and have more model diversity.

Even the Honda HR-V hybrid is cheaper than the Nissan at $47,000 drive-away, while the plug-in hybrid Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV starts from $47,290 plus ORCs.

Aftersales coverage includes a fairly standard five-year warranty and an above-average five-year roadside assistance program.

Capped-price servicing across five years is pegged at $2007 if you pre-pay at the beginning or $2230 if you pay annually or every 10,000km, whichever comes first.

That works out to around $400 per year (pre-paid) on average, and like the warranty, pre-paid service plans are transferrable if you on-sell the vehicle.

Notably, the e-POWER model is considerably cheaper to service than the petrol-only QASHQAI, which costs around $100 more per 12-month/10,000km service.

It comes as no surprise that the UK-built 2024 Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER Ti is packed to the gunnels with premium equipment in this top-spec guise, given the small SUV’s prime target market is Europe where it butts heads with ultra-chic Citroen, Peugeot and Skoda SUVs.

The equipment list reads more like a Lexus than a Nissan, with standard items including a 10-speaker Bose stereo with subwoofer, quilted leather seat upholstery with heated and massaging front seats (and memory settings for the driver’s position), a heated steering wheel and a large panoramic glass roof that makes the cabin feel bigger and brighter.

Ambient LED cabin lighting is also part of the Ti package, as is a wireless phone charger, a trio of large digital screens including GPS-based satellite navigation on the central screen, dual-zone automatic climate control, a powered tailgate with gesture (foot kick) control and 19-inch alloy wheels.

Like all models in the range, the 2024 Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER Ti scores a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on testing carried out in 2022.

On top of a strong safety cell and seven airbags, the e-POWER Ti comes with plenty of advanced driver assistance systems under Nissan’s ProPilot semi-autonomous driving suite.

These adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot detection/intervention and real-time traffic sign recognition that provides live speed-limit updates on the digital dashboard and head-up display.

Rear cross traffic alert, intelligent forward collision warning, driver attention alert and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with junction assist and vehicle, cyclist and pedestrian detection are also part of the package, as are front and rear parking sensors.

There’s a 360-degree surround-view camera system and even auto parking if you want to let the QASHQAI slot into a car space instead.

A tyre pressure monitoring system and more exterior LED lights than a rave party are included, the latter comprising daytime running lights, automatic headlights with auto levelling and adaptive driving beams, fog lights and tail-lights.

Apart from the fancy seats, the first thing you notice when you step into the 2024 Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER Ti are the twin 12.3-inch digital screens.

The central touch-screen has clear, sharp visuals and features wired and wireless Apple CarPlay but only wired Android Auto.

Sat-nav is a nice touch, especially when you’re out of mobile phone range, and although the menu system is intuitive, nicely arranged and delivers prompt touch response, the operating system lacks the depth of some rival small SUVs.

For the life of me, I couldn’t find an energy flow menu to disseminate the interplay between battery, engine, generator and inverter. However, there is an energy flow menu on the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that is somewhat basic but does the job.

The digital instrument display is generally very good, with plenty of driving data along with adjustable visual elements and themes.

The third and final screen, a 10.8-inch colour head-up display (beamed onto the windscreen directly in your line of sight), is very impressive. You get clear, vibrant visuals showing the current speed limit, vehicle speed, navigation directions and so on.

A large wireless phone charger is joined by twin USB ports – A and C – located in the centre console, but the NissanConnect remote services available overseas are missing here and there’s no timeline for its introduction, which is a shame.

There are few visual differences between the regular 1.3-litre turbo-petrol (110kW/250Nm) QASHQAI and the 2024 Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER Ti range-extender hybrid. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find its mechanical innards are very, very different.

A slightly larger 1.5-litre inline three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine (116kW) with variable compression ratio functionality sits between the front wheels and powers a generator connected to an inverter and a 2.1kWh lithium-ion battery back.

The turbo-petrol engine is designed to recharge the small battery pack or provide energy to the invertor, which in turn provides power to the electric motor. Ergo, the combustion engine has no direct connection with the driving wheels and is not a thrust facilitator – merely a generator.

Only the e-motor (140kW/330Nm) drives the front wheels, and although the QASHQAI e-POWER is around 200kg heavier than conventional model grades, it accelerates faster and more smoothly than its non-electrified cousins and is more fuel efficient, too.

It’s a bit like driving an EV at times because the engine can switch off for a few kilometres when the battery is charged. However, because it maintains the same-size fuel tank (55 litres) as non-hybrid QASHQAI models, a theoretical cruising range of more than 1000km is possible.

It also never needs to be plugged in.

Even when the engine is purring away to charge the battery or feed the invertor (or both) it’s reasonably quiet thanks to the four-stroke engine’s variable compression set-up, which ranges between 8:1 to 14:1 depending on demand and in turn keeps revs relatively low while maximising torque.

Active sound cancelling works just like the popular headphones (using the Bose subwoofer to generate a counter-frequency in this case) and the cabin is surprisingly hushed.

Another benefit of this range-extending set-up is the removal of Nissan’s CVT (continuously variable transmission). Instead, a one-speed automatic reduction drive is used here, ensuring no mechanical interruption to acceleration.

Result? Whether you go slow or fast, acceleration is buttery-smooth.

Can you hear that? It’s a penny dropping. So, is the $4200 premium for the 2024 Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER Ti ‘electric-drive’ system worth it?

Nissan reckons it’s around 15 per cent more efficient than the petrol-only QASHQAI, consuming a claimed 5.2L/100km on the official combined-cycle test versus the conventional SUV’s 6.1L/100km.

Across the launch drive, we finished with a 5.5L/100km scorecard, which isn’t too shabby considering it is carrying an extra 200kg of mass… and especially when we averaged 8.1L/100km in the regular QASHQAI last year.

There’s a one-pedal driving system that is probably the most effective way to drive economically, with strong recuperative braking occurring when you lift off the throttle pedal.

During the launch we spent about 20 per cent of our vehicle evaluation time in urban areas and the rest was on 80km/h arterial roads, 100km/h freeways and country roads.

And for the most part, the 2024 Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER Ti was a pleasant travelling companion.

It was interesting to see the fuel economy tick over at around 10L/100km after leaving Melbourne airport. Not great. After heading north-west the fuel consumption gradually fell as the hours ticked away, then rapidly dropped during a stint driving through the provincial city of Ballarat.

It stands to reason the QASHQAI e-POWER does its best work at slower speeds and in stop-start scenarios, but by the end of the first stint, a 300km drive (with a high average speed of 71km/h), the figure settled at 5.5L/100km.

Driven sedately (which was our modus operandi for the most part), the SUV is quiet, smooth and refined. Conversation flows easily in the hushed cabin, the massaging seats with three modes and different intensity settings adding a touch of luxury.

Push the throttle and the engine’s presence emerges but not as harshly as the most recent Toyota RAV4 Hybrid we assessed.

At full throttle, acceleration is swift (0-100km/h in 7.9 seconds is the claim), and despite the extra mass it carries around via all the hybrid gubbins, the QASHQAI e-POWER has a lot more spring in its step compared to the regular petrol models.

Ride comfort is more than acceptable, soaking up lesions, minor ruptures and gashes in the road surface with relative ease. That said, it doesn’t feel quite as nimble tracking through corners as the petrol-only QASHQAI.

According to Nissan’s European engineering corps, almost every element of chassis (dampers, springs, anti-roll bars, bushes) has been tuned to accommodate the extra 200kg of mass, but it doesn’t quite have the confidence of the regular car, with more body roll and less grip when you dial up the cornering tempo.

It all depends how you define ‘off-road’. If it entails dirt roads and gravel driveways, no drama. But unlike the Nissan X-TRAIL e-POWER, the 2024 Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER only has one e-motor driving the front wheels, so it lacks four-wheel drive for starters.

There are three drive modes but they are Eco, Normal and Sport – there’s no crusty dirt demon mode here, and given it’s front-drive only, it’ll likely struggle to ascent steep, loose trails.

The 2024 Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER Ti will make friends not with its high asking price, but via its frugal powertrain and deluxe interior (for a mainstream brand).

Sliding into the sporty leather-accented driver’s seat reveals an attention to detail not often seen in a mainstream compact SUV, with diamond patterning on the leather upholstery.

The eye is also drawn to the ultra-modern gear shifter and large central 12.3-inch digital touch-screen, both of which communicate the vehicle’s sophisticated and technological outlook.

There’s also a very capable 10-speaker Bose stereo, a large wireless phone charger, two USB ports up front and a gorgeous panoramic glass roof.

Cast your eyes and hands over the dashboard and doors, finished with a stitched synthetic leather material, then gaze at the very pretty 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and super-useful 10.8-inch head-up display and you could almost be fooled into thinking you’re sitting in a Lexus UX compact SUV.

Back-seat space is far better than expected for a city-savvy SUV, and together with the big glass roof it has an airy feel.

There’s USB-A and USB-C ports, reading lights, air vents and a fold-out arm rest for back seat passengers, along with twin ISOFIX and triple top-tether child seat anchorages.

And if you do have little kids, the ultra-wide-opening doors (similar to the X-TRAIL) will be a godsend; they make loading tiny people in and out of the vehicle a whole lot easier.

The power-operated tailgate can be opened hands-free by foot, laptop or metal bottle and reveals a versatile cargo area with hidden underfloor compartments and handy dividers that stop things rolling around.

Boot space is the same as the regular QASHQAI, which is impressive, although there’s no space-saver spare tyre now, replaced with a puncture repair kit.

On first impression, there’s a lot to like about the 2024 Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER.

The concept of a range-extending petrol-powered hybrid that never needs to be plugged in and has no range anxiety-inducing quirks is appealing.

It operates quietly and smoothly, has an upmarket ambience and we’re happy with the real-world fuel consumption figure of 5.5L/100km achieved on launch; we could certainly get it lower with more urban driving.

But is it $4200 better than the standard Nissan QASHQAI Ti, which has the same equipment loadout?

It’s hard to say definitively one way or the other after driving it for a couple of days because the circa-15 per cent fuel saving would take a long time to recoup.

Then again, if you plan on leasing the vehicle, it’s not a massive financial leap and could be the perfect stop-gap for buyers keen on reducing their carbon footprint but aren’t ready to go full EV yet.

2024 Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER Ti at a glance:
Price: $51,590 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol-electric
Output: 116kW (electric motor: 140kW/330Nm)
Combined output: 140kW/330Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Fuel: 5.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 117g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)