MY personal history with Nissan's Qashqai has been somewhat chequered, I will admit it has never made my list of 'most memorable' drives, it has been passable, without ever being 'special'.
So, when the new Qashqai range became available, I was curious, but my heart wasn't beating faster at the prospect of spending time behind the wheel.
Swimming in a pretty crowded pool, the Qashqai needed to be a big fish to really stand out, not exactly the strong suit of previous iterations.
The new look gets it off to a good start, while not exactly eye-catching, it looks good, with a plunging 'V' grille drawing the eye to the prominent Nissan badge.
Avoiding chrome garnish overload, the Qashqai doesn't overdo it in the 'look at me' stakes, which I think makes it more attractive.
Designed as a small-medium SUV, the body is not too big, nor is it too small, it is a good size for either a single, couple or young family, but it doesn't eally work for hauling a couple of teenagers around.
I do like the sharply angled rear, it is almost an arrow shape, it works visually but there is a price to be paid when it comes to luggage space compared to a traditional 'long roof' design.
We tested the base level ST, as the range-topping e-POWER, based on the top-spec Ti configuration.
The petrol-only ST, running a turbocharged 1.3-litre three cylinder making 110kW/250Nm, driving through the latest version of Nissan's Xtronic CVT (continuously variable transmission), proved to be a real eye-opener.
Despite being 'Barry Basic', I was impressed by the comfort of the cloth-trimmed, manually-adjustable seats, while the cargo area handled our bags when my partner headed off for a road trip.
Proving that very few 'bad' cars exist these days, thanks to improved materials and manufacturing techniques, the ST was a nice place to rack up the kilometres.
With 17" wheels, the ST gets the most tyre sidewall of the Qashqai range, meaning they had the most 'squish', compared to the 18" and 19" rims on the higher spec models.
SIDEBAR - To maintain gearing across the range, manufacturers have to keep the same outside tyre circumference across all versions of a ca model.
This means, as rims get bigger, the tyre sidewall, or profile, has to get smaller, which also means they get stiffer to maintain structural integrity.
As a result, there is less flex, or compression as the sidewalls become smaller, while this is good for handling, especially on a ace track, in the real world, it makes for a harsher ride.
Bottom line: for the average driver, on normal roads, higher profile tyres provide a more comfortable ride, compared to harder-riding, but better handling, low profile tyres.
In terms of a higher riding SUV-type car like the Qashqai, which is not designed as a low slung corner-killer, the trade-off of ride comfort against ultra-handling is one I would take every time.
So, back to the story, taking the ST on a jaunt into central New South Wales, which meant heading out to Goondiwindi before crossing the border, ride comfort was king, and the ST was a delight.
Even better, it allowed the Xtronic CVT to shine, because a long, constant-speed trip is a CVT's bread and butter.
Another digression - CVTs use a design based on two internal pulleys, rather than traditional gears, the pulleys are constantly varying in size, bigger and smaller, their diametes, to keep the engine operating at the most fuel-efficient level for the given speed.
By comparison, a fixed set of gears require the engine to vary its revolutions, burning more fuel, to maintain road speed.
With the Qashqai, we set the Intelligent Cruise Control to the posted speed limit and let the computer keep us on the legal side, and enjoyed the drive.
The ST still had CarPlay, 6-speaker stereo, 8" touchscreen display, multiple charging ports for devices and a 7" TFT screen instrument cluster.
Keeping us safe was Nissan's Intelligent Mobility Suite, including Forward Collision Alert, Blind Spot Warning, lane keeping, cross-traffic alerts, and much more.
This meant we just needed to watch for upcoming issues, like potholes and kangaroos, without sweating the small stuff.
Returning to Brisbane, we found the downside to the CVT - stop-start traffic...although, I hasten to add, this is not a Nissan-specific issue, this is a problem faced by many CVTs, regardless of manufacturer.
With no fixed gear sets the CVT is making constant adjustments, like the name suggests, unfortunately this is reactive rather than proactive, so that in stop-start or slow moving traffic the engine is prone to revving while the CVT catches up, only to find the demand has changed again.
In an era of government-mandated fuel consumption regulations, which are often set without manufacturer consultation or involvement, while CVTs are not perfect for city work, their minimalist highway cycle fuel consumption sees them chosen to bringthe average consumption down to required levels.
This aside, the Qashqai ST is a generally well-behaved, civilised car with good all-round performance, and worth a look.
Switching into the top-spec e-POWER version faced the same issues, sadly blunting the performance of an otherwise outstanding car.
As mentioned, it is based on the Ti, which justifies the extra $18,000 by adding pretty much every option Nissan could squeeze in.
This starts with upgrading the in-car entertainment to a 12.3" touchscreen, and adding an extra four speakers as part of a BOSE audio system, the front seats are leather-covered, power-adjustable units, complete with massage function.
Best of all, Nissan included a driver's Head Up Display (HUD), in this case a 10" (25cm) display 'floating' in the driver's eyeline.
This can be configured to include road speed, speed limit, navigation directions, even what is playing on the entertainment system.
The big change is hidden in plain sight, with the base 1.3-litre engine replaced by a 1.5-litre three cylinder turbo - except it doesn't drive the wheels!
Instead, it is an on-board generator for the power generator and electric drive motor.
Although classed as a hybrid, the e-POWER is really an Electric Vehicle, with its own generator, meaning it never needs to be plugged into an external charger.
And unlike other EVs, often weighing over 2000kg with large battery packs, the Qashqai has a much smaller, 2.1 kilowatt/hour battery pack, as it can be recharged while driving.
This gives the Qashqai driving dynamics similar to the Internal Combustion Engine versions, 'normalising' the experience for first-time EV owners.
The petrol motor never drives the wheels directly, although it can power the electric drive motor, while also charging the battery pack.
With total power of 140kW/330Nm, the e-POWER is no slouch, Nissan says the petrol engine is matched to driver inputs, providing a 'traditional' sound track to the driving experience.
A big difference to the ICE version is the E-Pedal (I love this!), whee the driver can set the accelerator pedal to be a combination throttle/brake - the harder you push, the faster you go, the more you lift, the more you slow down.
This mode also triggers the regenerative braking, the electric motor not only generating electricity, it magnetic brakes automatically slowing the car at the same time.
While the E-Pedal takes a little getting used to, once you have made the change, it is had to go back to a 'normal' set-up.
A light push is enough to get you moving, and then it is a case of small movements to change speed, faster or slower.
And in an emergency there are still the wheel brakes, which activate as normal, in addition to the EV system's magnetic brakes, pulling the Qashqai up in short order.
Overall, I was impressed, not enough to buy one, I am a big fan of the onboard charger, Chevrolet/Holden debuted similar technology about 15 years ago in the short-lived Volt, but it didn't take off then, but with the changed regulatory environment we are in, it makes tremendous sense.
Whether you like EVs or not, they are here to stay, thanks to global regulations.
Yes, there are other options under development, but they are a while off, meaning curent technology will be here for a while.
Having the onboard charger, obviating the need for plug-in chargers, with almost limitless range, makes it ideal for Australia, and if you are thinking of a new EV, it is worth a look.
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