Being first does not necessarily make one the best but the Nissan Qashqai has consistently sat at the top of an ever more congested crossover market, a favourite of both fleet and consumer buyers.

Okay so the Qashqai was not the very first of the SUV line when it arrived in 2007, but it has always been acknowledged as the car that kicked off the explosion that has since seen the crossover type of vehicle dominate the UK market, with such cars now providing the core of every manufacturer’s line-up.

The Qashqai also enjoys one further advantage that its rivals do not, at least among the more patriotic buyers, as it is truly a British car. Nissan’s plant in Sunderland has been the centre of Qashqai production from the start, with more than 4 million built there since 2007.

Nissan has so far managed to keep its prize asset competitive with ever-newer opposition and the latest move in that direction has seen an update for the latest third-generation version of the Qashqai, which was launched in 2021 and despite all those new rivals topped the UK new car sales charts in 2022. It’s a refresh that takes a typical route, with modifications to the styling, the look of the interior and technology upgrades.

First impressions

An initial viewing of the Qashqai sets the tone for what’s coming. It doesn’t stand out from the SUV pack, but one could argue that all its rivals should be trying to stand apart from it, the vehicle that set the tone.

What you do get is a purposeful-looking vehicle with a strong belt line sloping down to the bonnet, which with the distinct front creases give the car some prescience. If the buyer chooses the newly-added N-Design trim level then extra styling touches are included, the lower door sills and wheel arches finished in the same colour as the rest of the body and a set of bespoke 20-inch alloy wheels fitted.

Design

The exterior of the Qashqai has undergone the usual suite of changes as part of the refresh, the grille in particular now more distinctive with its multiple elements finished in high gloss back in the centre and satin chrome on the outside. Something that could easily go very wrong, it actually looks positively distinctive.

The lights have been upgraded front and rear along with changes to the alloy wheels, while there are new paint options too – Pearl White, Pearl Black and ‘Deep Ocean’, described as a shade between dark blue and metallic which apparently changes according to the prevailing light condition.

Interior

The Qashqai interior has always been practical, and continues in its latest incarnation with the brand resisting the trend prevalent among some rivals of dumping physical buttons and putting everything on the infotainment touchscreen. The touchscreen in this case is large and high-mounted, but it has a row of buttons below it controlling such essentials as cabin temperature and demisting. Our Tekna+ variant also gets a head-up display in addition to the driver’s information panel.

Add in a driving position that few rivals are able to match, with comfortable seats and an excellent view plus plenty of adjustability in both seat and steering wheel, and the Qashqai scores very well in this area. The three-quarter rear view is, however, not so excellent, like many in the class, but made up for by the standard-fit parking sensors and on all but entry-level models the 360-degree around-view monitor.

Upgrades to the interior trim as part of the revamp are confined to the upper-grade models, the entry-level Acenta Premium missing out. The changes include Alcantara on the dash, door inserts and centre console, plus new materials and updated seat trims with black part-quilted leather on the top spec Tekna+ and a synthetic variant on the next model down. Ambient lighting has also been added, with 64 colour options.

More basic matters are also generally well addressed with plentiful room up front and just about enough in the back, though tall occupants of the rear seats might find matters a little cosy. The boot space, at 455 litres with the seats up, is less than on rivals, and in the case of our test car less than in other versions of the Qashqai due to the Tekna+ having an upgraded Bose sound system with its components taking up some of the space – the boot volume extends to 1379 litres with the seats folded.

Pluses: Well built and with excellent driving position.
Minuses: Not so much room in back or boot.

Equipment

The Qashqai refresh has seen some significant additions to the car’s equipment, most notably to the Around View Monitor – Nissan having been one of the first brands to make use of this safety aid. The latest version adds a 3D function which allows views of the car from eight different angles, not just from above – handy when squeezing into that parking space.

The same technology eases exits from difficult junctions by projecting the view of a wide-angle camera mounted on the front of the bonnet onto the infotainment screen. Known locations with limited visibility can also be stored in memory so that it automatically activates close to said junctions.

New Qashqais are also the first European Nissans to have Google built into their infotainment systems. Google Maps is standard and does not need connection from a smartphone, while the hands-free Google Assistant is also included along with access to a number of other apps.

Generally the Qashqai comes well equipped whichever version one goes for, even the entry-level Acenta Premium including lots of automated systems such as rain-sensing wipers, dual-zone tri-mode climate control and keyless entry.

The Tekna+, being the range-topper, brims with equipment extending to such niceties as heating on the seats and steering wheel plus a massage function on the front seats, an electric tailgate, that upgraded sound system and the head-up display, plus the 20-inch wheels which are perhaps less of a desirable. It also all adds to the price – £8,500 more than for an entry-level car.

Pluses: Plenty of equipment whatever the level.
Minuses: Equipment on top trims make them expensive compared to rivals.

Safety

The Nissan Qashqai was last crash-tested by Euro NCAP in 2021 when the latest generation model was launched, and it gained a five-star rating. The safety specification is to the extensive level that has become the norm, with even entry-level versions getting a fully selection of ADAS electronic driver aids extending to blind spot warnings, intelligent cruise control and rear cross-traffic alerts.

Added to upper-spec models are further aids including the DriverAssist and ProPilot electronic systems – among other functions these keep the car in the centre of a motorway lane and at the correct speed for the road concerned.

Powertrain

When Nissan launched the latest Qashqai in 2021 it attracted some criticism for the lack of a diesel engine option, with arguments that this would turn off the fleet market. How things change quickly, with diesel power now very much on the wane.

Instead the Qashqai range encompasses a 1.3-litre mild hybrid petrol unit with either 140 or 158hp, and the option of all-wheel drive on the latter, plus the 1.5-litre ‘e-Power’ unit of the Business Motoring test car.

E-Power is the Nissan alternative to the plug-in hybrid. It includes a three-cylinder petrol engine but this is not connected to the wheels, which are driven by an electric motor. The engine’s sole purpose is to generate electricity to either recharge the battery or directly power the motor.

As a result the car drives exactly like an EV, just one you never have to plug in. You don’t quite get plug-in hybrid economy and emissions figures though, with our test model officially rated at just over 50mpg – which is good for a substantial SUV – and 119g/km. It’s also the fastest of the Qashqai range, cresting 62mph in 7.9 seconds.

On the road

With our car boasting the e-Power drivetrain, acceleration is smooth and consistent with no gears getting in the way or hybrid drivetrain whine, and overall the Qashqai scores well for refinement.

Progress in the car is quiet and serene, with a comfortable ride and little in the way of extraneous noise. However this pleasant progress can be slightly marred by putting on the larger 19 and 20-inch wheels that come with upper grades – then potholes do find it slightly easier to make their effects felt by the occupants. We are told that the suspension of the all-wheel-drive models dials this back out to a larger effect, but we haven’t had a chance to assess this.

The Qashqai corners with confidence, a long way from the days of early SUVs when wallowing handling was a given – yes it leans when pushed hard into a bend but one always feels in total control with precise steering.

Pluses: Generally refined performance, very smooth electric drivetrain.
Minuses: Larger wheels affect ride quality on 2WD models.

Costs

Overall the Qashqai is a competitive proposition when compared to its direct rivals, prices starting from £30,135 for the entry-level Acenta Premium with the 140hp mild-hybrid engine. The 158hp version adds £720 to the price and can be specified with an auto gearbox for an extra £1600. The entry model with the e-Power electrified drivetrain, meanwhile, costs from £34,430.

These are neither proper electric cars or plug-in hybrids of course, so the fleet buyer will need to factor in significant Benefit-in-Kind tax, the petrol versions rated at between 33 and 36% and the e-Power at 28%. Our e-Power Tekna+, costing from £42,980, will also be hit by the Expensive Car Supplement that adds extra costs between years two and five of ownership, with annual VED charges of £620.

Summary

The Nissan Qashqai continues to basically do everything right – there is not one aspect that particularly marks this car out against its rivals or explains its continuing levels of success, but the grounds for that success are in the fact that it does all that it needs to in all areas.

As a result, buyers of a Qashqai are generally satisfied with a car that is easy to live with, comfortable to drive in, not too expensive to maintain and safe. So having had a good experience with their Qashqai, they simply go out and buy another…

Business Motoring First Drives are the initial test of a new vehicle, of usually between 50 and 100 miles. Business Motoring Full Reviews are usually conducted over a full week, completing several hundred miles.