Two Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER variants confirmed for Australia

The 2023 Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER is now just weeks away from being released in Australia, where it will be offered in two guises: penultimate ST-L and flagship Ti.

Nissan Australia hasn’t announced exactly when the electric-drive compact SUV will be released but has long said it would be before the end of this year, and now the publishing of the QASHQAI e-POWER’s local homologation data indicates its launch is close.

Offering the electrified powertrain in the upper reaches of the QASHQAI range mirrors the strategy Nissan employed for the bigger X-TRAIL e-POWER’s Australian roll-out, however, in that instance the Ti and Ti-L were later joined by the more affordable ST-L.

So we wouldn’t be surprised if the initial two-pronged QASHQAI e-POWER line-up grows to three variants within 12 months of its release, provided there’s enough local demand for such a move.

Early indications were good this time last year, when Nissan Australia reported having a waiting list several months long – before the all-new small SUV was delayed – even before pricing and specifications were announced.

We’re still waiting for those announcements, but it should only be a matter of time now before the Japanese brand issues a press release detailing its second e-POWER model after the X-TRAIL.

Hiding under the bonnet of the QASHQAI e-POWER is a 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine outputting 116kW of power, all of which is dedicated to charging the 2.1kWh lithium-ion battery responsible for powering the single 140kW/330Nm electric motor.

As with the X-TRAIL e-POWER, the combustion engine has no direct link to the wheels, with drive instead being provided solely by the electric motor and in turn giving customers a largely EV-like motoring experience without the need to recharge.

We anticipate the QASHQAI E-POWER’s pricing to start somewhere around the $45,600 mark (plus on-roads), based on the circa-eight per cent premium applied to equivalent X-TRAILs.

Besides the electric drive transmission, the hybrids’ specification sheet should read almost identically to the petrol-powered ST-L and Ti, meaning 18-inch wheels, a 12.3-inch infotainment screen and cloth seats for the former and bigger 19s, dual-zone climate control and leather-accented upholstery for the latter.

Join the conversation at 

our Facebook page

Or email us at 

editor@carsales.com.au