Nissan Qashqai N Design e-Power (2025) Review

COMPROMISES please no one, so the adage maintains.

Well, the sage who came up with that little beauty obviously hadn’t driven the latest Nissan Qashqai e-Power.

EV? Petrol? Hybrid? Diesel? Just which power unit do you go for? They all have their pros and cons and invariably the choice results in buyers making a compromise.

There’s nothing better than the power delivery of one of the latest electric vehicles. Petrol powered motors just can’t come close to the power, refinement and performance of an EV some of which offer supercar rapidity for family SUV pricing.

But the down side is the issue of charging and the hours of your life lost sitting around supermarket car parks waiting to top up the battery. And don’t even get me started on range anxiety.

Diesels on the face of it seem to be a no-no until you consider the 950 miles range of the tank, which will last you at least a week compared to charging EVs twice a day.

It’s enough to leave you feeling bamboozled but Nissan has come up with the perfect answer and has just dressed its e-Power hybrid in a very smart new set of clothes.

Qashqai differs from other hybrids because it marries EV and internal combustion engine in a unique way.

The 1.5 litre petrol engine is there as a generator. It recharges the battery and powers the electric motor, it never drives the wheels. So the feel of the Qashqai is pure electric and the motor is hardly noticeable in the background.

Propulsion comes courtesy of a powerful electric motor and performance is super-swift and quiet as a result with a sprint time to 60mph in the 7s and oodles of creamy smooth torque for safe overtakes. It’s lovely. Bimble up and down the lanes and the trip computer shows 60+ miles per gallon because the engine isn’t doing that much work.

There’s a gauge showing how much battery is left and it seldom drops below half because the petrol engine keeps it topped up. With the petrol back up there’s no need to get embroiled in all that tedious charging and the two work together to offer a range of more than 400 miles.

Qashqai has undergone a major update and is all the better for it. The front grille creates an instant and lasting impression. It now consists of dozens of high gloss, three dimensional comma-shaped elements painted in high gloss black paint which appear to float in the space between the lip of the bonnet and the numberplate holder.

New headlights are sleek and sharp. Below the main lens the daytime running lights consist of five small lenses which are the same shape as the commas of the main grille.

The daytime running lights now encircle the main headlight lens, joining with the thin light above the headlight. The upper daytime running light element becomes the turn indicator when activated and, for the first time, features sequential turning lights front and rear.

At the rear, the red lighting elements comprise four individual elements which echo the shape of the front grille commas. They appear to float in the lens housing and are a distinctive shade of red. The lenses are now clear, to allow a better view of the lighting elements. It all adds up to make Qashqai a very attractive car indeed.

Inside is improved too. High quality materials cover the centre console around the gear selector and the decorative insert between the upper dashboard and glovebox.

Updated seat trims have been introduced and there are now 64 different colour options for the ambient lighting.

The best thing for me is how easy the virtual dials and touchscreen are to use, which is not always the case with modern cars. Where some cars have chosen to fit 44in TV screens, Qashqai gets more conventional clocks and a screen in the middle of the dashboard. It is all intuitive to use which makes it much safer than some of the unfathomable tech in the competition.

This user-friendly nature, fabulous looks and brilliant driving dynamics mean you have a car free from compromises. Nice.

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