Nissan Qashqai e-Power 2025 review: EV-like driving and smart visual refresh for UK-built top-seller

Nissan has had a rocky few months as a business but, while the company restructures its organisation globally, sales of their top-selling UK models are motoring along nicely. The latest Nissan Qashqai was the fourth most registered model in the UK in March, one of two Nissan cars in the top ten according to the latest SMMT data.

In fact, the Qashqai hasn’t been outside of the annual top ten best selling models in Britain since 2009, an impressive 14-year streak that has seen the type of cars in that top table change dramatically. In 2009 the best sellers list was dominated by hatchbacks and sedan models, with the Ford Fiesta topping the table with the Ford Mondeo book-ending the list and cars like the Mini, Corsa and VW Golf in between.

Fast forward to 2024’s end of year top ten and both the Fiesta and Mondeo are long since retired and only the Volkswagen Golf and Polo fail to fit the SUV template. The Qashqai is credited by many as the car that sparked that change.

Yes you can argue, as I have, that modern crossovers have their roots in the soft-roaders of the late 80s and 1990s like the Suzuki Vitara or Toyota Rav 4, but the Qashqai has a good claim as the first purpose-built family crossover to resonate with buyers en-masse. After its launch in the late noughties, European markets lapped the new model up and other manufacturers took note of Nissan’s success. A proliferation of the crossover formula evolved into ubiquitousness and the crossover/SUV is now a dominant model class on UK roads.

Nissan Qashqai first impressions in 2025

The Qashqai has evolved in that time too. The first generation looks boxy and old fashioned now, as each successive generation has added more kit, improved safety and sharper styling. Nissan launched the third generation Qashqai in 2021 and, in mid 2024, released a refreshed version with a redesigned front-end inspired by the Ariya EV, updated convenience features and improved materials.

The result is the most modern-looking Qashqai yet on the outside, with a high-tech cockpit that feels more comfortable and more solidly built than past models.

I drove this 2024 model Qashqai in Tekna+ trim and was immediately impressed with the interior. The premium quilted leather seats and suede-wrapped dashboard give a plush feel to the cabin. The purple interior mood lighting on delivery gave me Laserquest flashbacks but, with 64 adjustable colours, owners can tailor the ambiance to their personal preference. As it happens, I liked Laserquest when I was 10 and, 30 years later, I still do. All that was missing is dry ice.

The seats are supremely comfortable and, in this model, both driver and front passenger benefit from adjustable electric seats (four-way for the passenger and eight-way for the driver), which are also heated with three massage modes. The 10-speaker Bose sound system is another feature of the Tekna+ trim level along with dual-zone air conditioning, USB ports front and back and heated leather steering wheel.

Interior shot of a left-hand drive version of the new Nissan Qashqai following its 2024 refresh | Nissan

What is e-Power? And how is the Qashqai to drive?

The Qashqai, which packs 187 bhp from a combination of the 1.5-litre engine and electric motor, is quiet, EV quiet. The reason for that is the Nissan e-power system, which is not your traditional hybrid set-up.

Rather than switching between petrol and electric power depending on the demands on the engine, or using the battery to assist the engine for more efficient performance, the three-cylinder engine functions solely as a generator for the battery, with momentum driven by the electric motor.

With no need for gears, the power delivery is smooth and, being permanently motor-driven, there is none of the hesitancy sometimes found in other hybrid systems, as there is no need for the car to switch between modes.

It’s not completely silent. Accelerate aggressively and you’ll start to hear the buzz from the three-cylinder engine but, even foot to the floor, the decibel level remains low. The cabin soundproofing is excellent and that, plus the trick hybrid set up makes this a very refined drive overall.

With plenty of power available and a respectable nought to 62mph time of 7.9 seconds, I expected the Qashqai to feel lively on the move but, if anything, it felt slightly undergunned. It rides well though, soaking up the lumps and bumps of Scotland’s roads but also retaining its poise during cornering. Steering felt sharp enough, without being overly sporty, tightening up a bit at speed.

Our top-spec model featured multi-link rear suspension, as opposed to a more basic torsion beam set-up found on less expensive models. The multi-link system is standard on four-wheel drive models and two-wheel drive cars, like our demonstrator, with 20-inch alloy wheels fitted.

Qashqai Tekna+ boot capacity versus other trim levels

In terms of practicality, our test car had a 455-litre boot, a bit smaller than its most obvious competitors like the Ford Kuga (412 - 553 depending on where the sliding seats are set), Kia Sportage (562 litres for the mild hybrid) and Skoda Karoq (521 - 588 litres). It’s also less than some other Qashqai models, with 479-litres standard across N-Connecta, N-Design and Tekna trims. Accenta Premium cars have 504-litres available.

The difference between Accenta Premium and the other models is down to a little more depth, which takes the boot floor below the lip of the rear hatch. Our car, as well as the other trims, featured a flat floor which sacrifices capacity in favour of easier loading and unloading.

So why the difference between Tekna + and its flat-floored compatriots? The answer to that lies in the Bose sound system, the rear subwoofer eating up a small ammount of storage capacity.

2024 Nissan Qashqai e-Power verdict

The Qashqai is comfortable, well-built and refined. The e-Power configuration improves MPG considerably over the mild hybrid models in the range, with a 22 per cent improvement in combined miles per gallon between the 158-bhp 1.3-litre mild hybrid and the e-Power model - but that comes at a round a 30 per cent increase in price. As driven, our test car was priced at £43,725, with the £745 paint job the only optional extra.

Better value models in the range will likely make up the bulk of retail sales of the new Qashqai, but there’s a lot to commend in the high-end Tekna+ car, which feels as fresh and modern as any mainstream ICE car rolling off competitors’ production lines.

Is it the best driving, or most practical car in its class? No, but it never has been. The appeal of the Qashqai has always been in its ability as a solid all-rounder, delivering against people’s expectations of what a family car should deliver, all wrapped-up in an attractive visual package.

And, I think, it’s that last bit that’s really important. I’d put the success of the Qashqai down to what’s known as the Mere-Exposure Effect. Essentially, the more people see Qashqais on the road, the more buyers think: ‘I like the look of that’ and buy one themselves. Success breeds success and few models on UK forecourts can claim such consistent high demand as Nissan’s trailblazing C-segment crossover.

So, it’s just as well that the 2024 refresh has done an excellent job of bringing the model up to scratch visually for contemporary tastes. It’s a thoroughly modern looking car and the bold styling changes will help it continue to cut a dash on UK roads - and top sales charts - for some time to come.