Nissan Qashqai e-Power review

Nissan Qashqai e-Power

We get behind the wheel of the Nissan Qashqai e-Power – a full hybrid like no other…

The Nissan Qashqai has been a huge success. Originally launched in the UK back in 2007, it pioneered the crossover concept with its blend of hatchback compactness and SUV practicality, becoming the best-selling car in the UK by 2022.

Built in Britain at Nissan’s giant plant in Sunderland, it entered its third generation in 2021 and it’s better than ever.

Introduced initially with just a 1.3-litre mild hybrid engine, an intriguing e-Power version was added in 2022. And it’s this model that’s the subject of this week’s road test.

Nissan Qashqai e-Power

Unlike a conventional hybrid, the e-Power’s 1.5-litre petrol engine doesn’t directly drive the car. Instead, it acts as a generator, sending power to a small 1.97kWh lithium ion battery, then on to an electric motor (outputting 187bhp), which drives the front wheels.

As the marketing blurb says, it’s “powered by electric, refuelled with petrol”, so there’s no need to recharge the Nissan Qashqai e-Power. In fact, you can wave goodbye to the range anxiety so often associated with pure electric vehicles.

Priced from £34,020, the Nissan Qashqai e-Power feels more like an EV to drive (instant torque, single-speed, seamless performance), but it never has to be plugged in – nor will it run out of charge.

Nissan Qashqai e-Power

The system is happiest in low-speed urban driving environments or when cruising where there’s no stress on the engine and it can almost tick over as it charges the battery. Sometimes, the engine will cut out altogether and it will just run in pure electric mode.

It’s only under heavy acceleration or prolonged high-speed driving, on motorways for instance, that the engine has to work harder and it makes itself known.

But even then (unlike some full hybrids) the revs don’t shoot up creating a din in the cabin, even if it’s not a completely whisper-quiet experience. Disconcertingly, the engine’s revs sometimes seem to bear little relation to the demands made by your right foot, but broadly speaking, it works well.

Nissan Qashqai e-Power

For the record, it’s capable of a 0-62mph dash in a spritely 7.9 seconds, and on to a top speed of 105mph.

Nothing goes to waste either. Kinetic energy otherwise lost via braking and coasting is used to recharge the battery (brake regeneration) and you can engage e-Pedal mode to give you a one pedal driving like the 100% electric Nissan Leaf.

In practice, the Nissan Qashqai e-Power offers economy close to a diesel. Officially, it will return 53.3mpg, and in everyday driving that’s realistic and can be bettered – especially if you drive sensibly. During our week with the car, at best we managed close on 70mpg, at worst closer to 40mpg.

Nissan Qashqai e-Power

Of course, the downside is that it’s not 100% electric, so while it’s capable of good fuel economy, CO2 emissions are a low, but significant 120g/km – despite all that tech.

Three driving modes are available (Eco, Standard and Sport) with the car always defaulting to standard, which is just as well because it offers the best blend of performance and economy.

Elsewhere, the e-Power is much like a regular Qashqai, which is no bad thing. Distinctive and modern, it offers serious kerb appeal.

Nissan Qashqai e-Power

Inside, it looks fresh, it’s well put together, soft-touch surfaces give it a classy feel and it’s packed with technology.

The 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, featuring Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, is responsive and easy to use. There’s also a 12.3-inch digital driver’s instrument cluster, plus the latest version of Nissan’s ProPILOT semi-autonomous driving system.

All models are equipped with Nissan’s driver assistance and safety package, which includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and blind spot monitoring.

Nissan Qashqai e-Power

There’s plenty of space for all the family to be seated in comfort, and the rear doors open wide for easy access. Luggage capacity is a decent 504 litres, expanding to 1,447 with the rear seats folded down.

The driving position is ideal, and just as you’d expect from a high-rider, visibility is impressive.

The Nissan Qashqai e-Power handles well and is surprisingly agile. Push it and there’s a little body lean in corners, but otherwise it offers a comfortable ride with ample grip, while the light steering works a treat in town.

It would be an exaggeration to call it an engaging drive, but then the e-Power is more about practicality and economy.

The Qashqai e-Power has a long list of rivals, including the Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson and Suzuki S-Cross, though none use Nissan’s novel hybrid system.

Verdict: Nissan has dared to be different with the Qashqai e-Power – a cross between a full hybrid and an EV. Economical, comfortable, smooth, safe and practical, it’s a perfect stepping stone for drivers who aren’t ready – or can’t yet – make the switch to a pure electric vehicle.

Nissan UK

Kia Sportage review

Kia Sportage review

Kia ended 2021 on a high with a record UK market share of 5.5% before getting off to a cracking start in 2022.

The South Korean brand finished January as the best-selling brand (9.1% share) – a first in its 30-year history.

This success was led by the Kia Sportage, which was January’s most popular car overall, having ended 2021 as the ninth best-selling popular new car.

Kia Sportage review

It’s remarkable that this family favourite was still flying out of the showrooms in 2021 and early 2022 because these were the last of the fourth generation Sportage (originally launched in 2016) models.

Which brings us to the all-new Mk 5 Sportage – one of the most striking new crossovers on the road.

Rocking a bold, confident new design, hi-tech interior and a range of petrol, diesel and hybrid (mild, self-charging) engines (with a plug-in to follow), the range is priced from £26,745 to £38,445.

Kia Sportage review

There are five trim levels (2, GT-Line, 3, 4 and GT-Line S) and it will do battle the likes of the Volkswagen Tiguan, Hyundai Tucson, Nissan Qashqai and Suzuki S-Cross.

There’s no doubt that the new Sportage has serious road presence, echoing some of the futuristic styling cues of its pure electric big brother, the EV6.

Inside, the change is just as radical with a smart two-screen infotainment set-up. As standard, there’s a an 8.0-inch main touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and additional digital driver’s display on the right. From GT-Line spec up there’s a larger 12.3-inch screen in the centre.

Kia Sportage review

The curved console is clear, bright, responsive and intuitive to use, partly down to the short-cut buttons below the screen.

We tested three variants (all using a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine) – the entry-level with no electrical assistance, followed by the mild hybrid and the self-charging (or full) hybrid.

Four-wheel drive is available with any of the hybridised models, which are only fitted with automatic gearboxes, while the regular 1.6-litre car only comes with a manual box.

Kia Sportage review

Apart from the obvious kerb appeal, the first thing you notice about the new Sportage is that it’s a little longer, wider and taller than the outgoing car and there’s more room inside.

Overall, it has a more mature, sharper look, it’s well put together, has a quality feel and is generously equipped.

In fact, there’s plenty of space for adults front and back, while the luggage capacity is an impressive 587 litres, expanding to a huge 1,780 litres when the 40:20:40 split rear seats are flipped.

Kia Sportage review

On the road, the Sportage is easy to drive with light steering and good all-round visibility. It would be wrong to say it has the most sophisticated ride thanks to its firm suspension settings, but it does the job and remains reasonably flat when pushed in more challenging corners.

The only slight disappointment is the 1.6-litre T-GDi engine which isn’t the most engaging of units and can be vocal when pushed- a shame because the Sportage is a refined cruiser.

For the record, the conventional engine’s 148bhp is good enough for a 0-60mph sprint time of 9.9 seconds, while the mild hybrid (same engine power, but with 48V battery assistance) is slightly faster (9.4 seconds).

Kia Sportage review

What’s more, on paper the claimed fuel consumption of the basic petrol turbo is 41.5mpg, compared to 40.4mpg for the mild hybrid (though in real world driving you won’t get near 40mpg), so I’m not sure that the latter is worth the extra expense.

Puzzlingly, the CO2 emissions for the all-wheel-drive mild hybrid I drove were higher (158g/km) than the regular petrol (154g/km), so where’s the benefit?

The six-speed manual has an easy shift action, while the automatic options (seven-speed dual-clutch and traditional six-speed torque-converter) are suitably smooth for the mild and full hybrids.

Kia Sportage review

Obviously, if money is not the main concern, then the full hybrid is the most tempting model in the range (until the plug-in hybrid version comes along) – especially if your journeys tend to be longer. There’s extra poke, it’s a more relaxed drive generally and EV mode kicks in at low speeds or when manoeuvring.

The front-wheel drive version I tested delivers a combined 226bhp, a 0-60mph time of 7.7 seconds, fuel economy of up to 48.7mpg and emissions as low as 132g/km.

The Sportage is packed with the latest safety and driver assistance kit including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and, as with all Kia cars, it comes with a generous seven-year warranty.

Verdict: The all-new Kia Sportage goes straight to the top of the family SUV class with its blend of striking looks, hi-tech interior, practicality, top safety features and big bang for your bucks.

Kia UK