IT SEEMS ALMOST INEVITABLE that new models are bigger than the ones they replace. And eventually, a new model has to be introduced below it to meet customer desire for something “not so big”.
Nissan’s Qashqai has succumbed to the “bigger is better” mantra and is, according to Nissan, “roomier than before”. It also gets a new turbo-petrol engine with more power and torque, improved fuel economy and lower emissions.
“This new model delivers more of everything Australian drivers love about the Qashqai, with more power, better efficiency, segment-leading safety equipment and technology, and confidence-inspiring ride and handling that feels as at home in the city as it does on a twisting road,” says Adam Paterson, Managing Director Nissan Australia.
“It really is the small SUV that’s big on everything that matters, and we can’t wait for our customers to experience it for themselves.”
State-of-the-art CMF-C architecture brings benefits across the board
Penned at the studios of Nissan Design Europe in London and engineered at the Nissan Technical Centre in Bedfordshire, UK, the new Qashqai is also the first vehicle globally to use Nissan’s innovative CMF-C architecture, which boasts a 48 percent increase in structural rigidity.
In terms of construction, the body-in-white makes use of more lightweight materials, as well as advanced stamping and welding techniques, not just to increase strength, but to also reduce weight. For the first time, the rear hatchback door on the Qashqai is now made of a composite material, which saves a further 2.6kg.
Central to the engineering vision was to retain the current Qashqai’s proportions, which are “just right” and key to its success, meaning it comfortably navigates urban roads and fits comfortably in parking spaces, while also giving excellent interior space.
The front and rear doors, front fenders and bonnet are all now made of aluminium, which offers a weight-saving, and the total net advantage for customers, thanks to all the advanced manufacturing techniques, is that the overall body-in-white is lighter by 60kg and stiffer by 41 percent compared to the outgoing model.
This translates to better refinement, ride comfort and driving response, exceptional security in the event of an accident, as well as having benefits to the car’s overall efficiency.
The wheelbase of the Qashqai has increased by 19mm, with the overall length increasing by 31mm. There is an increase in height (+30mm), and width (+29mm), for improved presence on the road.
Introducing the new platform brings a host of important gains, including wider door openings for easy access, more knee and legroom for rear passengers, improved visibility from the driver’s seat, multi-link rear suspension across all models for poise and ride comfort, and a higher 1.5-tonne towing capacity.
These differences are noticeable even from the driver’s seat, where there is more seat slide range and lift, and a greater range of steering height adjustments.
More power and torque, better economy, lower emissions
Nissan’s newly developed HR13DDT 1.3-litre 4-cylinder turbo-petrol engine is fitted to the new Qashqai, delivering an extra 4kW of power and 50Nm of torque than the engine it replaces, lifting total outputs to 110kW at 5500rpm and 250Nm at 1600-3750rpm.
Engineered for improved driving performance, better response and faster power and torque delivery, the HR13DDT uses its improved outputs to deliver both faster acceleration and easier overtaking manoeuvres, and a quieter experience for the driver and passenger with less need to call on higher revs.
This lightweight engine, with its aluminium cylinder head and block, also delivers significant improvements in fuel economy, with efficiency improving by 0.8L/100km to a new combined average consumption of 6.1L/100km.
The engine, also equipped with Idle Stop/Start, is a double-overhead camshaft design, and it’s also significantly cleaner-burning, with CO2 emissions dropping by 21g/km to 138g/km.
A new generation X-tronic CVT supports the drive to greater fuel efficiency and better performance, with the transmission’s internal friction reduced by 29 per cent. All models feature paddle-shift gear changing from the steering wheel and three-mode operation: Standard, Eco and Sport.
The new X-tronic deploys a twin oil pump system, which increases or decreases the oil flow depending on the Drive Mode, producing seamless upshifting at slower speeds, and sharper, step-like shifts under hard acceleration in Sport mode.
Smoother through the air
The new Qashqai ushers in a fresh, athletic European styling package with a “floating” roof design, shark-fin aerial (coincidentally, at the same time as the Hyundai Venue reverts to a pole-type antenna!) and integrated rear spoiler. It is not just sleeker looking, but also smoother through the air thanks to aerodynamic innovations like an Active Grille shutter, Air curtain airflow enhancements, and a flat underfloor which wraps around the exhaust tunnel.
There are 13 different exterior colour configurations offered (eight single-colour options for ST). In addition to the Qashqai “hero” colour of Magnetic Blue, customers can choose from five eye-catching, two-tone paint schemes including Fuji Sunset Red, Ceramic Gray and Ivory Pearl, all matched to a Pearl Black roof, or Pearl Black matched to a Gun Metallic roof.
The front end, the all-new Qashqai sports an enlarged Nissan V-Motion grille, finished in chrome with a secondary pinstripe of satin chrome to emphasise its precision. This is flanked by slim, full LED headlamps with boomerang signature daylight running lights. Super-tight gaps between all these details create a premium and precise impression.
And in a further first, the word “QASHQAI” is now precision-stamped onto the front quarter panels, giving this new model a unique signature that sets it apart on the road.
Air curtains under the headlights further widen the frontal aspect, pulling the eye across the bonnet of the vehicle.
The forward lighting on the new Qashqai has been enhanced from the previous model to feature a slimmer, sharper design. On the rear lights, there’s also graduated ‘raindrop’ grain optics which create a 3D lighting effect and give a futuristic impression.
From the side, the new Qashqai appears more athletic and dynamic, with a single ‘fast line’ that strikes through the car from the front to the rear, giving a very horizontal presence to the car, but also conveying a sense of dynamism.
The front lighting package is all-LED across the range for a sharper, brighter view of the road ahead, with LEDs producing three times the light of halogen bulbs. Qashqai ST-L and Ti models adopt adaptive Matrix headlights, which use 12 controlled segments to shape the pattern to suit different traffic driving conditions.
On the subject of light, it naturally fills the cabin of the Qashqai Ti at the push of a button, courtesy of the panoramic glass roof with its own electric sun shade.
A technology powerhouse
The new Qashqai raises the bar on cabin technology, with a 12.3-inch high-definition touchscreen (ST+ model upwards), a 12.3″ TFT Advanced Drive-Assist Display instrument cluster (Ti) and 10.8-inch Head-Up Display (Ti) which are equal largest in segment, equal largest in segment and largest in segment respectively.
All infotainment systems in the new Qashqai are equipped with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, the latter of which is wired in ST models and wireless from ST+ and up. A wireless smartphone charging pad integrated into the lower dash is offered from the ST-L model upwards, while the premium Ti model features a 10-speaker Bose audio system with a subwoofer and digital signal processor.
Ti buyers are further cosseted with three-function inbuilt massaging for the front leather-accented seats, and a driver’s view encompassing the 12.3-inch TFT Advanced Drive-Assist Display instrument cluster with six configurations (plus Classic and Enhanced views), controlled from the steering wheel, to display navigation, entertainment, traffic or vehicle information.
The Ti’s composite-construction rear hatch, which saves 2.6kg, also now has a handy hands-free opening function, allowing the keyholder to wave a foot under the rear bumper to activate (if it works! Or you don’t lose balance and fall over!) the door lift.
Rear air vents are standard on all models, as is console charging with USB-A and USB-C compatibility for maximum convenience.
New seat materials create an inviting and sumptuous cabin. A new premium soft leather design takes 25 days to produce, while more than 60 minutes are needed to embroider the new 3D diamond-quilted design.
Extensive attention has been paid to the ergonomic and aesthetic quality of the switch gear and buttons with a high quality, tactile feel giving users a sense of confidence and refinement.
The centre console layout has been optimised through a collaboration between Nissan’s designers and engineers for both ergonomics and usability, central to which is a smart new smaller gear selector.
Like the all-new X-Trail, the new Qashqai is fitted with Splash Free Wash Window Wipers, in which the window washer fluid comes from the wipers themselves, rather than a bonnet-mounted spray unit, reducing liquid usage by 30 percent and removing that moment of temporary blindness experienced when conventional washer sprays are activated.
New suspension and steering for better ride and handling
The new Qashqai continues to offer a rewarding driving experience – building on its reputation for delivering a refined and cosseting drive that’s equally enthralling when the road turns twisty.
The new CMF-C platform boasts torsional rigidity of vehicles from a higher segment, allowing the suspension to remain precisely located, ensuring positive and confidence-inspiring responses to steering inputs and a more solid feel when driving on rough roads.
Thanks to the new platform, the new Qashqai has an updated Macpherson strut set-up at the front and, at the rear, Qashqai is equipped with an advanced multi-link set-up.
The advanced multi-link rear suspension configuration offers a best-in-segment balance between ride comfort and dynamic response. It is now mounted to the sub-frame by bushes, which reduce road noise and vibrations transmitted from the road.
The power-steering set-up has been upgraded, offering improved response, better feeling around the central part of the steering range, and reduced friction, for sharper, more confidence-inspiring steering.
Safety arrives as standard across the range
Nissan’s class-leading Intelligent Mobility suite of safety technologies delivers a host of integrated high-end capabilities, enhanced further for MY23 Qashqai.
The Qashqai ST arrives fitted with a centre far-side airbag for occupant-to-occupant protection, a rear camera, rear parking sensors, Intelligent Forward Collision Warning with Intelligent Emergency Braking (Junction/Pedestrian/Cyclist), Lane Departure Warning with Intelligent Lane Intervention, Intelligent Blind Spot Intervention, Traffic Sign Recognition, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert with Intelligent Rear Automatic Braking, Intelligent Cruise Control and High Beam Assist. Blind Spot Warning, Intelligent Driver Alert, a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System and Rear Seat/Door Alert (which reminds drivers to check the backseat) complete the comprehensive safety offering.
Qashqai ST+ models add an Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection, while the ST-L introduces Nissan’s advanced ProPILOT semi-autonomous driving and safety aids, along with Front Parking Sensors and Adaptive Driving Beam headlights, which dynamically respond to other vehicles on the road.
ProPILOT is an easy-to-use driver assist system that combines Intelligent Cruise Control with Steering and Lane Keep Assist technologies. Along with a stop-and-hold function, the system will ensure your brakes are applied when the vehicle ahead slows down, and will even come to a complete stop before moving off again as the traffic ahead does, all while ensuring you remain within your lane.
Finally, the flagship Ti model adds Intelligent Park Assist including side-parking sensors and includes a 10.8-inch Head Up Display, allowing the driver to monitor speed, navigation directions and the prevailing speed limit without taking their eyes from their road.
A centre far-side airbag, designed to deploy between the front seats and protect the occupants, has been added to the comprehensive passive safety systems, contributing to the Qashqai’s range-wide five-star ANCAP safety rating.
Scored against ANCAP’s most stringent safety protocols, the Qashqai’s impressive performance in European testing saw it qualify for Australia’s highest safety rating.
Excellent adult and child occupant protection
The Nissan Qashqai scored 91 percent for adult occupant protection, and 93 percent for child occupant protection, placing it among the best of its competitive group. This exceptional performance reflects the advanced reinforced structure of the new Qashqai’s CMF-C platform, built with ultra-high-strength steel in key areas to improve rigidity while allowing the force of an impact to be absorbed and reduced before reaching the passenger safety cell.
The addition of a central airbag to prevent the collision of heads between the driver and front seat passenger in the event of a side impact helped the Qashqai to score a perfect six from six on both side impact and oblique pole testing, as well as a perfect marks in far side impact testing.
A score of 45.78 out of a possible 49 was achieved for child occupant protection, including a perfect score for Dynamic Test Side (eight from eight) and Restraint Installation (12 from 12), and a near-perfect 15.78 out of a possible 16 for Dynamic Test Front.
Vulnerable Road User Protection
The new Qashqai achieved a score of 74 percent on cyclist and pedestrian protection tests.
Safety assist
The Nissan Qashqai’s core advanced safety systems appear right across the model grades, resulting in a near-perfect 15.56 out of a possible 16 — or 97 percent — in Safety Assist testing.
Practically perfect
The powered Hands-Free Back Door — a first for the Qashqai — makes accessing the boot effortless when hands are anything but free, opening automatically to allow access to a generous 429 litres (418L in Ti, which is equipped with a subwoofer), with a cargo floor that’s been lowered by 20mm when compared to the outgoing model. The space is ample for two large suitcases, or a pram, and introduces true practicality in the small SUV space.
The innovative Divide-N-Hide cargo floor system (Ti only) can discreetly hide items under the floor. The system is enhanced for the new model, with reshaped boards, as well as durable carpet on one side and wipe-clean plastic on the other.
Refinements to the ergonomic design of the doorways mean the new Qashqai is also easier for ingress and egress than previous generations, particularly evident in restricted spaces such as multi-storey car parks. Where space allows, parents will appreciate that the rear doors now open to 85 degrees, allowing easier access to babies and toddlers in child-seats.
And all passengers will appreciate a significant increase in space, with rear passenger knee and legroom increased by 22mm, and headroom and front shoulder room increased 28mm.
| PRICING | |
| ST | $33,890 |
| ST+ | $37,890 |
| ST+ with two-tone paint | $38,390 |
| ST-L | $42,190 |
| ST-L with two-tone paint | $42,690 |
| Ti | $47,390 |
| Ti with two-tone paint | $47,890 |
| Premium Paint surcharge $700 |
All plus on road costs