Nissan Unveils All-New Qashqai SUV With Fresh Design

Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer, Nissan has unveiled the all-new Nissan Qashqai compact crossover SUV for the European market. 

Qashqai is one of the most popular cars in the crossover segment, with over 3 million cars sold since 2007 when the Qashqai was originally introduced.

The new third-generation model sits on the new CMF-C platform and will hit the roads in 2021 getting an up to date design to make it sharper and more sporty

Bringing with it an all-new design, Nissan is introducing 20-inch wheels, up an inch from the 19-inch wheels of the previous generation, although it remains to be seen what impact this will have on ride and cabin noise.

The new model is recognisable as a Qashqai, but there are nips and tucks all over the exterior and a considerable reworking of the interior. it is a little longer, giving more passengers space, while the boot ca[pacity increases to 504 liters for added convenience.

According to Nissan, the focus of the interior was to increase the quality across the cabin, with new switchgear and finishes to complement the new design and layout.

The tech sees a large 9-inch central display, compatible with Andriod Auto and Apple CarPlay which is also available on wireless supportive devices. there are a 12.3-inch digital driver display and the option for a 10.8-inch head-up display to project information into your eye line when driving.

READ ALSO: Nissan To Convert New Vehicles To Electric By 2030

The car is supported by the Nissan Connect app, giving you functions like remote unlocking, while there's support for Google Assistant and Alexa, allowing you to tell your Amazon Echo to send directions to your car.

The mild-hybrid option aims to improve the efficiency of the 1.3-liter petrol engine by harvesting energy on braking to charge a small battery. This then runs a secondary electrical system that will allow it to handle some systems when the engine isn't running, allowing engine-off idle for longer times and reducing the overall amount of lost energy.

There will be manual 138HP or 156HP options, the larger engine also getting automatic and all-wheel drive choices.

The Nissan e-Power system uses a similar setup to an electric car, with electric motors powering the wheels, with a battery for energy storage. There's also a 1.5-liter petrol engine, however, which supplies electrical power to the battery, rather than driving the wheels.

This hybrid system is designed to give the convenience of easy long-range motoring, as you fill it up with petrol as you would a combustion car, but then the engine can run at its most efficient as its job is to recharge the battery. The advantage is that it drives with the smoothness and response of an electric car.

Prices and availability to be confirmed, but we'd expect the new Qashqai to continue the trend of being popular with families.