Nissan’s Qashqai was one of pioneers of the modern crossover boom and its third-generation SUV has just been given a style and tech makeover to help it stay relevant, and to cement the family connection to the Ariya EV. The most obvious change is to the front end, which loses the v-shaped chrome grille and weird tuning-fork-shaped headlight and DRL combination. In its place comes a bigger and better looking mesh grille inspired by the chainmail armor worn by ancient Japanese soldiers, hidden headlights and ultra-slim DRLs.
Tweaks to the rear are milder, but include
a new set of rear LED lights and a modified bumper whose more aggressive lower
section is designed to give the Qashqai a sportier presence. That’s amplified
if you order yours in the new N-Design grade, which brings color-coded body
trim and 20-inch wheels in place of the usual 18s and 19s.
It’s all a show, though, because the
all-electrified engine lineup is the same as before. Buyers get to choose
between two 1.3-liter mild-hybrid engines making 138 hp and 158 hp, and a 187 hp 1.5-liter E-Power full hybrid in which the
combustion motor is only used to charge the battery, and doesn’t ever drive the
wheels directly. But Nissan still doesn’t offer the Qashqai with an EV
powertrain or a plug-in hybrid option. What the refreshed SUV does bring to the
table is an updated Android-based infotainment system with built-in Google maps
and Google personal assistant. And there are more tech advances bundled in with
the Around View Monitor camera system, which now features a 3D function that
lets drivers see their Qashqai from every exterior angle, including overhead.
AVW also comes with an “invisible hood
view” as well as “Parking Spot Location Memory” that can save frequently used
parking spots and slot itself into them automatically. The same tech can be
used to save the locations of intersections with restricted views so that an
extra-wide angle feed of the road is automatically projected onto the media
screen without the driver needing to activate it.
The updated Qashqai is currently in
production at Nissan’s Sunderland plant in the UK, and arrives in European
dealers soon. But the automaker has no plans to bring it to the U.S. to plug
the gap between the all-new Kicks and Rogue.
