• All-petrol line-up, no plug-ins or diesels
• One mild hybrid, one full hybrid
• Four-wheel drive available

Petrol engines

The Qashqai’s performance is adequate no matter which model you choose – but it won’t set your pulse racing, nor are there any options for those looking for a high-power version. If you want a longer-legged Qashqai, you’re going to need to plump for the 190hp E-Power hybrid version, with the 158hp mild-hybrid preferable over the weedier 140hp entry-level model.

Of the mild-hybrid petrols, we’ve tried the Qashqai in manual and automatic forms. In both cases, it’s a smooth and refined little engine that’s unobtrusive at low revs and settles down to a quiet hum at motorway speeds. Outright performance is on the pace for your money, although even the 158ps feels less muscular in the mid-range than the 1.5-litre TSI in the Volkswagen Tiguan, especially in manual form.

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Out of the automatic and manual transmission versions, we prefer the former. The six-speed manual Qashqai certainly needs plenty of revs to get going, and can often get bogged down – for instance, if you try to pull away from walking pace in second gear, it almost fails to move forward at all. You’ll learn to drive around that, but it can be a little disconcerting at first.

The automatic is a CVT and other than the revs heading skywards when you floor the throttle at some speeds, it works responsively, especially on A-roads and the motorway. 

Hybrid engine

The best engine option in the line-up is Nissan’s E-Power system. This is essentially a range-extender hybrid – though you’ll notice Nissan never calls it a hybrid in its marketing material – where the engine acts as a generator to charge the battery pack, which then drives an electric motor that drives the wheels. There is no conventional gearbox – which means fewer moving parts, and that results in better efficiency. Apparently.

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Nissan says you end up with a driving experience akin to that of an electric car, with instant throttle response and silent take off from rest. This isn’t strictly the case, as it doesn’t feel significantly differently to other hybrid systems, though does offer a smoother and quieter power delivery than rivals such as the Toyota C-HR. 

So, you get a silent take off from rest, a relaxed driving experience, and a lack of traditional sound cues to give away the impression of speed. It’s excellent around town, where it feels most at home. But on the move and at higher speeds, the Qashqai E-Power works better than most other full hybrids, because the engine isn’t as noticeable when you need more power, nor do you get the associated ‘mooing’ you get with some hybrids. 

It will drive around 3-4 miles on pure electric power, which isn’t bad by self-charging hybrid standards, and is ideal for around town. Performance is fairly brisk, too, for a car of this type, with its smooth power delivery getting the car up to speed in a quiet and refined fashion, and 0-62mph being dispatched in 7.9 seconds.

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What’s it like to drive?

• Safe and secure handling, not much fun
• Firm suspension, can become jittery
• Lots of road noise generated from larger alloy wheels

There was very little wrong with the way the outgoing Qashqai handled, and that largely continues with the new model. The steering is direct and well weighted, but clearly set-up to excel around town. On a string of twisty back roads, the Qashqai can wallow and lumber as it works hard to contain its body roll, which isn’t always the most pleasant experience. It’s safe, secure, and predictable, just not much fun.

If you want the softest ride possible for your family SUV, you’ll need to look elsewhere – the Skoda Karoq and Volvo XC40 come to mind. There’s some fidget especially at low speeds, but the Qashqai takes the edge off of bumps and is comfortable enough, even on the biggest wheels. Even so, stick to lower trims with smaller wheels for the most compliant ride.

Another gripe we found with the Qashqai, at least on the larger alloy wheels, is that there’s lots of road noise generated, which is more noticeable at speed. It means, with the E-Power at least, the driving experience isn’t quite as refined and relaxing as it could be. 

Unfortunately we’ve not sampled the four-wheel drive system in the Qashqai, but the larger X-Trail is surprisingly capable off-road. Manual versions of the Qashqai can tow a 1935kg braked trailer, the 158ps 2WD auto 1985kg, and the four-wheel drive 2040kg. The E-Power tops the range at 2180kg, but is front-wheel drive only.