Nissan Qashqai Review (2024-)

Introduction

The Nissan Qashqai isn’t particularly a car that jumps out at you.

Its family-friendly, unassuming nature would make you believe it's just any other motor.

Yet the truth is anything but – it’s stupidly popular.

Not only has it been a regular fixture in the top handful of cars leased or sold each year since its launch, but it's also been a trailblazer for the popularity of SUVs in the United Kingdom.

Before the Qashqai came along, most SUVs were proper 4x4s. But the rise of the Chelsea Tractor – affluent Londoners who lease Range Rovers without any intention of ever taking them off-road – rubbed off on the rest of the country.

The result was that every day, families wanted a slice of the pie.

Once the Qashqai came along, the rest of the automotive world followed suit – and the SUV crossover began to take over from the more traditional family hatchback.

To make things even better, the UK can take some pride in the success of the Japanese manufacturer, as the Qashqai has been built in the northeast of England since it first saw the light of day.

It has been around for 18 years now – and the latest iteration is here. It is a facelifted version of its third-generation model, based on the CMF-C platform from Nissan’s alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi, which was first launched in 2021.

The new car's upgrades include exterior styling tweaks and modifications to the interior, although its outer dimensions remain the same as before.

So, is it any good? We are hoping so – and we’ll now find out.

At A Glance

The outgoing model had a heavily re-designed front end, which matched the styling of the all-electric Nissan Ariya.

Now Nissan has added more personality to the Qashqai, with the grille pattern extending across most of the front end, filling in the previously blank space underneath the headlights, which are thinner than ever, as if the car is squinting.

There are real air intakes on each side, too, while a lower grille sits in the middle, separated from the main grille by a black stripe.

There are some indentations in the doors around the sides, and a noticeable crease runs along the length of the car just beneath the windows. This crease also runs all the way around the back, producing a line that runs through the centre of the Nissan badge and connects the end points of the taillights.

Some higher trims get a black roof, too, which looks striking, although all models feature a black panel behind the rear window.

In any event, it looks meaner, more aggressive and more angular than before.

Key Features

There are some minor changes to the trim levels compared with before, with the entry-level Visia trim now dropped in favour of the N-Design trim, which sits further up the range.

This is no bad thing, as the Visia trim was too basic to recommend. It lacked even an infotainment screen, which is quite a significant omission nowadays.

As a result, the Acenta Premium is now the bottom rung of the ladder. It features 17-inch alloys, a 12.3-inch Nissan Connect infotainment system with SatNav, wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, DAB radio, a seven-inch instrument cluster, automatic headlights, dual-zone climate control, an i-Key and a rear-view camera.

The N-Connecta grade gets 18-inch diamond-cut alloys, native Google support built into the infotainment system, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, rain-sensing wipers, a wireless phone charger, and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.

The Qashqai’s N-Design trim gets 20-inch alloys, body-coloured lower bumpers, two-tone paint (including a black roof), LED sequential indicators, and Alcantara upholstery and interior fittings.

The Tekna trim swanks 19-inch aero-clad alloys, a glossy black bumper, ProPILOT assist with Navi-Link, a 10.8-inch head-up display, a powered tailgate, heated front seats and steering wheel, and an electric adjustable driver’s seat with memory function.

Top-of-the-range Tekna+ vaunts 20-inch alloys, quilted premium leather seat fronts, a front seat massage function, advanced i-Key, and a Bose premium sound system.

The powertrains are the same as before, with a selection of three and no diesels offered.

Two of them are the DIG-T mild-hybrids – one producing 140PS and the other 158PS. They are made up of a 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine and a choice of a six-speed manual or a single-speed CVT gearbox in the former, while the latter only comes with the CVT.

There is also the e-POWER, which has a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol mill. This engine merely acts as a generator to power an electric motor, which propels the wheels.

Only the DIG-T 158 is available with a four-wheel drive, and only in N-Connecta, Tekna and Tekna+ trims.

Performance & Drive

We are test-driving the Tekna and Tekna+ trims with the e-POWER powertrain.

Both models can go from zero to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds and max out at 105mph. That is pretty quick for a family-friendly SUV.

The electric motor helps, bringing the Qashqai to life more than the mild hybrids, although it doesn’t pin you back in your seat like an electric car would.

The power delivery is smooth and surprisingly quiet, considering it has an engine underneath the bonnet. The car can theoretically be claimed to be an all-electric vehicle because only the electric motor drives the wheels.

The engine merely supplies power to the motor. Still, Nissan prefers to refer to it as a full-hybrid (which means self-charging), which is more reflective of the car's nature, given, unlike electric vehicles, the e-POWER doesn’t need to be plugged in.

It goes along with aplomb and good refinement, but under hard acceleration, the engine starts to make its presence known. Because it’s not driving the wheels, the engine sometimes sounds out of sorts compared with what you’re doing with the accelerator, which feels strange until you’ve got used to it.

Its e-Pedal system provides regenerative braking - and it works incredibly well. When you take your foot off the accelerator, the anchors slam on to the point that we had to dial it down.

It will run without the engine, but only for a couple of miles. This is useful if you're returning home late at night and don’t want to wake the neighbours.

The other powertrains are smooth and reasonably refined, but the additional help of the mild-hybrid system barely adds any performance.

As a result, the DIG-T 140 manages 0-62mph in 10.2 seconds, while the DIG-T 158 does it in 9.2 seconds, increasing to 9.5 seconds in the manual and 9.9 seconds with four-wheel drive.

The difference between them is slight, so there’s little point in choosing the 158 unless you have four-wheel drive – and there's no point in doing that unless you really need it.

The transmissions of the mild-hybrids feel like a weak point, with the manual gearbox requiring the engine to work hard to progress.

The single-gear CVT (continuously variable transmission) sounds a bit raucous due to its habit of revving hard, although it’s more reactive to your inputs.

Without a doubt, the e-POWER is superior but also the priciest.

Ride comfort is reasonable, and the suspension is reasonably soft, so the new Qashqai deals with potholes fairly well, but keener drivers will inevitably be left disappointed.

It leans quite a lot through faster corners, and taking things too quickly results in screeching understeer on entry.

Yes, we’re testing it to its limits, so you may not notice when driving normally – but we didn’t have to push very hard to find those boundaries.

The steering weights up around the bends, but it feels rather artificial and doesn’t provide any consistent feedback, preventing you from trusting your intuition about how much grip it has at any moment.

One thing that makes a significant difference in comfort levels is wheel size.

Our Tekna and Tekna+ test cars have 19-inch and 20-inch alloys, respectively, which feel much less absorbing than the 17-inch wheels on the entry-level N-Connecta.

You can’t downgrade the rim size, so you’d have to go for a lower trim.

Around town, the Qashqai is more civil, with low speeds that suit the transmission, engine, handling, and lighter steering, more so than twisty B-roads.

Wind and road noise have been improved over the outgoing model, which is a plus.

Running Costs & Emissions

Both the DIG-T 140 and 158 mild-hybrids manage 44mpg and emit 142g/km CO2, respectively. The latter improves to 45mpg and 141g/km CO2 with the automatic gearbox.

The 190 e-POWER accomplishes 54mpg, emitting 117g/km CO2.

The exact published figures will vary slightly depending on trim, while the e-POWER’s road tax will cost £220 for the first year versus £270 for the mild-hybrids.

Few are likely to be leased as company cars, as you need a plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle to enjoy the most significant savings in Benefit in Kind tax.

Interior & Technology

The Qashqai’s cabin design is a massive improvement, considering how it looked in 2006.

It is heavily based on the outgoing model’s interior. But the tweaks are subtle yet significant – noticeable, although difficult to put your finger on anything specific.

The gear lever is marginally different, while the dashboard’s shape, which curves away from the front seat passenger, is smoother and less pronounced than before.

The new 12.3-inch infotainment screen pops up from the middle of the dashboard, sitting on top in a tablet-like housing.

The system is a big step forward, as the Qashqai comes with Google support as standard, meaning Google Maps and the voice-control Google Assistant system are built into the car (except on the entry-level trim).

While you could use these features before through smartphone mirroring, you couldn't fully use them as they weren't native to the car. Now they are – and you can control much more than just your phone from it.

The screen has a sharper resolution, and the system is very responsive to pushes and prods of your finger, with intuitively laid-out menus. We felt some of the graphics were a little dated, but this is a minor gripe - it's the best system Nissan has used to date.

What is even better is that the climate control dials and buttons are all physical, sitting beneath the screen, rather than in a sub-menu or via a touch-sensitive button, which would make things challenging to operate on the move.

The cabin isn’t anywhere near the minimalistic design of the all-electric Nissan Ariya, but the latest changes give it a more modern feel, which is no bad thing.

Individual components feel well-built and put together. There are still some thin, cheap plastics to save on both weight and cost, but most of these are low down, and you're unlikely to notice them too much.

Only the N-Design gets the posher Alcantara upholstery – it’s disappointing that our Tekna+ test car is a higher trim yet doesn’t include it.

Nevertheless, it's a nice interior that modestly improves on the old one, although if you want a truly premium feel, the Ariya takes things to a whole new level.

Practicality & Boot Space

It is easy to find a fitting driving position, as there’s plenty of adjustment in the seats and steering wheel, especially in our Tekna and Tekna+ models, which get electric seat adjustment.

Electrically adjustable driver’s lumbar support is standard on all models, while Tekna and Tekna+ also include it for the front-seat passenger.

Forward visibility is reasonably good, as the windscreen pillars are kept as thin as possible.

However, at the rear, they're very thick – not helped by the tiny rear side windows between the C and D pillars, which, from the driver’s perspective, effectively merge into one gigantic pillar, making over-the-shoulder visibility tricky.

Thankfully, a surround-view camera is included as standard (rear-view on the bottom trim), which mitigates the problem.

You won’t be short on front headroom or legroom – it feels spacious and quite open compared with some similarly sized SUV crossovers that we’ve driven.

The Tekna and Tekna+ also have a panoramic sunroof, which, despite the lower roof line, doesn't appear to compromise headroom. There is a good helping of shoulder room, too.

In the back, models with the sunroof might find taller passengers slightly less well accommodated. Although there's a decent amount of legroom on offer, a combination of tall occupants in the front and back will leave one of them limited on legroom as a result.

There is no issue with rear headroom, although the middle seat has quite a hump, which may make it less user-friendly for taller passengers, not helped by another hump in the middle of the floor.

You will also find plenty of storage spaces inside the cabin, with a decent-sized glove compartment and a sizeable cubby beneath the centre console, although the door bins aren't huge.

The front has two cupholders, a wireless charger (except for the entry-level model), and numerous USB-C charging ports.

When it comes to the boot, 479 litres of cargo space is offered, expanding to 910 litres with the rear seats folded down. However, the entry-level Acenta Premium gets 504 litres, increasing to 935 litres.

The seats only fold in a 60:40 configuration, though, rather than the more convenient and versatile 40:20:40 split offered by some foes.

All models have an adjustable boot floor, which can be raised to limit the loading lip.

Another handy feature is that you can take out the boot floor, turn it over, and put it back in, switching the carpeted top for a smoother, plastic surface that is easy to wipe. This is handy if you’re, say, picking the kids up from football practice and their kit is covered in mud.

Safety

The Nissan Qashqai was crash-tested in 2021 by Euro NCAP – and the results will apply to the new facelifted version, given it’s merely an update of the same model.

It earned a five-star rating, scoring a remarkable 91% for adults and children and an even more eye-catching 95% for safety assists.

Those assists include rear parking sensors on all models, vehicle dynamic control, and hill start assist, among others.

You also get the Nissan Intelligent Mobility package, which includes intelligent cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind spot intervention and warning, rear cross-traffic alert, driver alertness monitoring, and intelligent forward collision warning.

What’s more, the pack includes lane departure warning and prevention, automatic high beam, and traffic sign recognition with speed adjustment.

As if that wasn’t enough, N-Connecta and above also get lane keep assist and moving object detection.

It is little wonder the Qashqai scored as high as it did.

Options

There are a few extras offered on the new Nissan Qashqai.

You can add the Bose premium sound system and panoramic sunroof to any model (the Bose system is standard on the Tekna+ trim, while the sunroof is standard on Tekna and Tekna+ trims, although it’s a no-cost option on the N-Design).

Dark grey is the standard colour, with black, blue, pearl white, sunset red, silver, grey, and a grey-gun metallic also available for extra. The N-Design with the black roof is available with five body colours.

Rival Cars

Long gone are the days when the Nissan Qashqai had the playing field to itself.

Skoda’s Karoq and Kia’s Sportage, along with the Seat Ateca and Hyundai's Tucson, provide formidable competition.

Honda’s CR-V and C-HR are also worth looking at leasing, along with the Vauxhall Grandland.

Volkswagen’s Tiguan is also tempting, while the premium end of the market is provided by the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.

Verdict & Next Steps

Overall, the Nissan Qashqai is a competent, good-looking, and practical family car, and this latest design takes it another step forward.

Its modern interior and supple ride should appeal to low-speed commuters and school-run providers, while the Google-native infotainment system is the most impressive from Nissan yet.

Its levels of standard safety equipment are also superb.

However, the mild-hybrid powertrains are frustrating, with disappointing transmissions – especially the manual – while some competitors offer more boot space and keener driving dynamics.

If you don't mind forking out a bit extra, we'd recommend the superior 190 e-POWER. We consider the Tekna and Tekna+ trims excessive, especially given the price jump to Tekna+.

The second-from-bottom N-Connecta trim gets our vote with its decent equipment list.

Nevertheless, the Qashqai remains a well-rounded, safe, family-friendly car that needs to be on your car leasing list.

Where to next?

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Nissan Qashqai.

**Correct as of 06/02/2025. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 48 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £1,888.74 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.