Automotive Business Magazine – Q3 2026 – Digital edition - Flipbook - Page 59
Nissan Qashqai e-Power
It has a 1.5-litre petrol
engine with three cylinders,
which is roughly the size of
a large food processor. That
engine does not actually
drive the wheels [...] it drives
an electric motor"
How it looks
The Nissan Qashqai has always been, let us just
say, visually apologetic.
This one, however, has been to the gym. It is all
big shoulders, sharp lines, aggressive LED lighting,
and it has some pretty funky alloys as well.
It looks like a car that has read the design brief,
understood it, and delivered, which is a pretty
rare feat.
Inside, the Qashqai E-Power has a certain
refinement and plushness that I wouldn't have
associated with Qashqais of old.
The shiny plastics are all well laid out. It all looks
really plush. The seats are comfortable, the driving
position is agreeble, and it's all laid out in a very
practical way.
This is a 'no thrills and spills' car, which is doing
everything it needs to do in the most reassuring
way possible. It's sensible, and I've got to an age
where I kind of like that.
The verdict
On the road, the Qashqai e-Power feels very
calm and collected in a way that you would want
and expect. I am not dismissing it by calling it
a runabout; it is a proper family car. The ride
is supple and it rides over the bumps with
consumer ease.
The steering is light, as you would want from
this class of vehicle. This is not a performance
vehicle, but if you want some excitement, you can
flick it into sport mode, and then things pick up
pretty respectably.
You're not going to scare any BMW M Sport
drivers, but it does give you a bit of a thrill when
you want it.
The Nissan Qashqai isn't exciting. It never will
be, and it doesn't pretend to be.
But it's comfortable, it's practical, and it's
perfect for people who want to get from A to B
without thinking about cars.
Fleet Focus
TCO – Total Cost of Ownership
Capital Cost: Base OTR price for the
N-Connecta grade: £37,345.
Tax Liability (BIK): 26% for 2025/26.
Insurance Classification: Group 25.
Fuel Efficiency
Motive Efficiency: The 1.5-litre three-cylinder
turbocharged engine and hybrid system
deliver an official combined fuel economy
of 62.8mpg.
Operational Fleet Reach: 55-litre fuel tank
gives a highly reliable operating range of
over 777 miles on a single fill-up.
Powertrain Tech: Built-in Nissan stop-start
system along with an Active Grille Shutter.
Maintenance Cost
Mechanical Infrastructure: Standard
front-wheel drive (2WD) layout. Avoids the
complex servicing requirements and weight
penalties of traditional mechanical fourwheel-drive systems.
Component Wear Protection: Automated
electronic parking brake with auto-hold
functionality.
Downtime
Logistical Infrastructure: Nissan’s UK dealer
and corporate aftersales service network.
Rapid Diagnostics: Emergency and
Breakdown Call integration to flag
mechanical fault codes and breakdown
data to service teams remotely.
Safety
GSR2-Compliance: Standard structural
protection including seven airbags.
Active Protection (ADAS): Intelligent Front
Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Warning,
Lane Departure Prevention, and Rear
Automatic Braking.
Maneuvering Hazard Reduction: 3D
Around View Monitor with Moving Object
Detection to eliminate expensive low-speed
cosmetic scrapes.
