BACK in 2006, when Nissan unveiled the Qashqai, little did they know they were pioneering a whole generation of now hugely popular crossover birthed from blending the hatchback compactness and SUV practicality. Now, meet The All-New Nissan Qashqai, with its bold stance, sharp LED lighting and sleek 19-inch alloy wheels. With its roomy interior in an aerodynamic and compact body, Qashqai once again brings a new vision to the market.
The Qashqai arrived in SA for the first time ever in 2007, and became an instant hit and this third-generation Qashqai promises to win new admirers with its sleek design, driving comfort and cutting edge personal technology. These come through high-end driver assistance systems, luxury appointments and a brand-new engine.
To vouch for its very high standard, the latest Qashqai has been nominated for the the 2023 South African Car of the Year (COTY). In the finalists list released on January 26, the Qashqai has been nominated in the Compact Family Car category with BAIC Beijing X55, Opel Mokka and VW Taigo.
Styling
Fun, playful and yet seriously elegant at the same time. That' s how best the new ashqai ' s design can be described, which means it's a car for everyone who needs a reliable everyday car.
Nissan went a step further, giving the third-generation Qashqai some muscular proportions that speaks to the new power play the model possesses, looking ahead with striking front appearance held together by LED technology and running on large wheels.
A deep-flowing chrome V dives from the angular LED headlights to low in the front bumper, presenting a glossy new-age Nissan badge.
At the rear, the V-shape s inverted, pushing up into the tailgate while sharp creases run vertically from the LED combination lamps at the rear to give the new Nissan Qashqai a fluid look.
Interior Nissan has clearly taken the approach of less being more and simple controls offset the large 12.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system on higher-grade models.
The top-grade Qashqai Acenta Plus features a premium-grade leather interior and all the useful
technology a modern motorist wants.
The Acenta Plus features Nappa leather massage and heated seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel,
wireless charge pad, fully electric seats (with memory function), dual-zone climate control, ProPILOT
autonomous driving, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, intelligent headlights with 12-split capability and slick gear knob, which moves in a way you don’t expect.
Technology and safety
The new Qashqai offers Level 1 autonomy in the Acenta Plus grade. This includes systems for lane
departure warning and interventions, Blind Sport assistance and intervention, emergency braking with auto-detection that uses a series of radars and cameras to accurately assess the road ahead and predict a multitude of scenarios, as well as fully adaptive cruise control.
I was rather impressed to hear that the driver monitoring makes use of a capacitive system in the
steering wheel as opposed to a tension-based system.
The entertainment side of things is taken care of with the aforementioned 12.3-inch touchscreen.
infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay along with a fast-charging wireless charger for mobile phones. A myriad of USB outlets further caters for the world' s new requirement of keeping devices fully charged. Sadly, the Bose audio system lacks the punch usually associated with the brand name and could certainly benefit from the addition of a subwoofer to balance out the bright midranges.
Powetrain
At this current moment, there ' s only one engine available in the range and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it 's not a diesel. As the world continues to shun the diesel engine, Nissan has elected to only provide a 1.3-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine. Producing 110 kW and 250 Nm, the Qashqai sends power to the front wheels through a well-programmed and stepped CVT gearbox. Three drive modes allow for drivers to enjoy a sprightlier response from the gearbox, engine and steering or choose to save fuel by selecting an Economy mode.
Pricing
Nissan Qashqai 1.3T Visia R568,200
Nissan Qashqai 1.3T Acenta R639,300
Nissan Qashqai 1.3T Acenta Plus R670,600
Sold with a 3 year / 90,000km service plan, 6 year / 150,000km warranty, and 6 year / 150,000km.
roadside assistance.
