1 week ago
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Sales of hybrid SUVs are soaring and Nissan is looking to get a portion of the enactment with its caller Qashqai e-Power.
VALUE
Nissan has made the unusual telephone of lone offering hybrid powerfulness successful the top-of-the-range Ti model. At astir $56,000 drive-away, it is much costly than each its main hybrid rivals. Buyers tin besides take a hybrid mentation of the bigger X-Trail for little money. The hybrid costs $4200 much than its petrol equivalent but justifies that premium with amended performance, ratio and refinement. The compartment is modern looking and good built, with crisp surface graphics, prime soft-touch materials and awesome technology. The ample centre surface is complemented by a customisable integer instrumentality sheet and a heads-up display. In-car amusement includes smartphone mirroring, a wireless telephone charging pad, beforehand and rear charging ports, integer vigor and a 10-speaker Bose audio unit. The seats person leather accents and the beforehand 2 are power-adjustable, portion ambient lighting lifts the temper astatine night. Services are comparatively expensive, but the hybrid exemplary costs little implicit 5 years than the petrol versions. Service intervals are shorter, though, astatine 10,000km.
COMFORT
Nissan dials up the carnal comforts successful its top-of-the-range model. The beforehand seats person adjustable lumbar support, heating and a massaging relation for reducing aches connected longer drives. The driver’s spot has a representation relation that allows you to store settings for antithetic drivers and there’s a brushed pad to remainder your genu on. Rear-seat legroom and headroom is generous for the people and determination are idiosyncratic aerial vents successful the 2nd row. The rear doors person wide openings that marque it easier to load young ones into their car seats and the rear tailgate opens and closes astatine the property of a button, which is useful erstwhile your hands are full. The load country has a mendacious level for storing items retired of sight. Radar cruise power reduces fatigue connected agelong trips. The hybrid set-up is creaseless and quiescent astir town, portion the suspension soaks up bumps and corrugations with small fuss.
SAFETY
The Qashqai has much precocious operator assistance exertion than galore rivals. It ticks the boxes with car exigency braking, lane-keep and blind-spot assist, rear cross-traffic alert with braking and traffic-sign recognition. But it besides intervenes if it thinks you’re drifting into the way of different car connected the freeway. The involution is rather forceful and takes immoderate getting utilized to. There are 7 airbags, including 1 to halt the operator and rider banging heads successful a side-impact accident. At debased speeds it emits a dependable to pass pedestrians. The Qashqai scored 5 stars successful 2021 clang testing, scoring 91 per cent for big occupant protection, 93 per cent for kid occupant extortion and 97 per cent for operator assistance.
ON THE ROAD
Nissan has taken a antithetic attack with its hybrid technology. While astir rivals person an electrical centrifugal and artillery to boost the petrol engine, usually astatine instrumentality disconnected and erstwhile cruising connected the highway, the Qashqai’s electrical centrifugal takes the pb role. It drives the wheels, portion the petrol motor simply serves arsenic a generator to replenish the battery. That means it drives a batch similar an electrical vehicle, with a strong, soundless and creaseless surge disconnected the people erstwhile you property the accelerator. The petrol motor tin beryllium heard from clip to clip erstwhile it kicks successful to complaint the artillery but for the astir portion it isn’t noticeable. The Qashqai feels nimble done the corners for an SUV, with bully assemblage control, close steering and a well-sorted ride. It is somewhat thirstier than different hybrids but it is casual to lucifer the authoritative fuel-use claim.
ALTERNATIVES
Toyota Corolla Cross Atmos, from astir $51,419 drive-away. Cabin is somewhat smaller and a small plain looking but cheaper and much substance efficient.
Hyundai Kona Hybrid Premium, astir $52,400 drive-away. Down connected powerfulness but modern, good equipped compartment and exceptional substance efficiency.
Honda ZR-V e: HEV LX, astir $54,900 drive-away. Slightly cheaper with a classy cabin, bully driving manners, akin powerfulness and amended substance use.
NISSAN QASHQAI TI e-POWER
PRICE About $56,000 drive-away
ENGINE 1.5-litre turbo petrol electric, 140kW/330Nm
WARRANTY/SERVICING Five years/unlimited km, $2007 for 5 years (prepaid)
SAFETY Seven airbags, car exigency braking, lane-departure and blind-spot assist, rear cross-traffic alert, radar cruise, postulation motion recognition
THIRST 5.2L/100km
SPARE Tyre repair kit
LUGGAGE 452 litres
VERDICT
Three and a fractional stars
A prime cabin, bully driving manners and awesome substance system but the terms is simply a stretch.
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