The all-new 2021 Qashqai is about to hit the European market and Nissan decided to share more information about its hybrid-only powertrain range before its official market launch later this year. We already knew that the new Qashqai will be the company’s first model to offer an e-Power range-extender powertrain in Europe, but now we have more details on it. The same model should make its appearance in North America as the new Rogue Sport, although it remains to be confirmed if it’ll use the same powertrains.
Nissan’s approach to electrification is
rather different than most automakers as it opted for range-extender
powertrains instead of the more traditional plug-in hybrids. Unlike the latter,
the ICE engine isn’t connected to the wheels but rather acts as a charging
device for the onboard battery, giving the vehicle the driving characteristics
of an EV and, according to Nissan, superior fuel efficiency and lower CO2
emissions.
The e-Power unit in the new Qashqai has
been developed specifically for it and uses a 155 HP 1.5-liter
variable-compression petrol engine as a range extender for the “high-output”
battery. The electric motor, which drives the wheels, produces 187 HP,
the official power output of the new Nissan Qashqai e-Power that will go on
sale later in 2022.
Nissan says that the new Qashqai e-Power,
which will be available only as a 2WD, not only accelerates quicker than its
hybrid rivals but does so with a lower engine rpm, which should mean that it
doesn’t suffer from the much-criticized rubber-band effect under acceleration
of other parallel hybrids with CVT transmissions. In addition, Nissan has also
added the e-Pedal mode, first seen on the Leaf EV, to allow for true
‘one-pedal’ driving.
The other powertrain in the 2021 Qashqai
range will be an updated, mild-hybrid version of the 1.3-liter DiG-T petrol
unit. This engine, which was originally co-developed between Nissan, Renault,
and Daimler, is now paired to a 12-volt mild-hybrid system, adding just 22 kg
to the vehicle weight, and will be offered in two power outputs, with 138 HP and 156 HP.
The entry-level 138 HP version of the 2021
Qashqai’s mild-hybrid 1.3-liter powertrain will be offered only in 2WD with a
six-speed manual gearbox, while the more powerful 156 HP variant will be
optionally available with all-wheel-drive and a new-gen Xtronic CVT
transmission.