Here’s a good quiz question. Which electric car gets its power from petrol?
I can hear you saying ‘there’s got to be a catch’ which is the reply I got when I threw it in at a party. No one came up with the answer and there is no catch.
The Nissan Qashqai e-Power.
Qashqai is unique in that the petrol engine generates power for the battery that feeds an electric motor that drives the car. A clever stop-gap solution until we have to go all electric. Here you have the ease of a quick refuel rather than hooking up to a charging post.
That is not going to happen too often either with the e-Power capable of more than 600 miles from its 55 litre tank. I know because I covered all but 500 miles and still had 134 miles left averaging 56mpg and on longer runs topping 70mpg. On one slowish 15 mile drive my return was an astonishing 80mpg. This is a massive increase on the previous e-Power when my week’s average was 43mpg.
The Sunderland built Qashqai e-Power debuted in 2024 and has just had an upgrade to keep pace with the stream of new plug-in hybrids. Body styling stays the same, there was no need to tinker it looks fine as it is. The upgrades have increased power, lowered emissions and improved fuel efficiency by 15 per cent and my figures can vouch for that.
The extra power comes from a new 1.5 litre 3-cylinder petrol engine fitted with a bigger turbocharger to deliver more torque. A sprint to sixty takes just over seven seconds which is quicker than before. In sport setting it feels feisty although not quite as free flowing as the plug-in hybrid Geely Starray reviewed last week.
An area that needs improvement is the ride. It is not awful and is happy enough on well tarred surfaces but the story changes on pitted B roads. Here you really feel the thuds coming through the chassis, something also noted by my passengers.
Qashqai has always been a roomy family SUV crossover, wide enough for three adults across the back with enough legroom for six footers. The wide hump in the middle of the floor cuts into leg space and there is no sliding or reclining seat found on some rivals.
Boot space is not the best but plenty big enough although you do lose 49 litres in this top Tekna+ model because of the big sub-woofer under the boot floor. A useful feature is a raised split board that can be slotted into the floor creating a small compartment. Good for keeping shopping bags in place.
The cabin generally gets a big plus for two reasons. First it feels quality with warm alcantara fabric breaking up the plastic surfaces along the dashboard and door cappings.
The layout is excellent with a touchscreen supported by a bank of switches for heating and other key features. Even the steering wheel controls are logically linked to the info strip in the driver’s display and although I would have liked a simple switch for lane assist I memorised turning it on or off from the steering wheel.
As for technology it has been revamped with Google mapping taking over the air upgrades and security that allows the car to be monitored, sending a warning if the car has been tampered with or towed. Voice control is efficient, just ask Google and it will change the radio station, set a destination or adjust the heating.
Tekna+ has a long spec sheet but the driver safety aids stand out with adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, including for pedestrians, and rear cross traffic alert making this a safe space.
Nissan was the first company to introduce a surround camera and that has developed to cover just about every eventuality. It is up there with the best.
The e-Power is another milestone in Qashqai’s remarkable story which now spans 20 years. Honda will argue it invented the SUV crossover a decade earlier with the CR-V but no one took any notice, yet everyone latched on to the Qashqai formula so much so that they are the most popular cars on our roads.
The biggest threat to e-Power is the flood of Chinese plug-in hybrids and given the choice I would go for the cheaper, roomier and well equipped Geely Starray, but it is a very close call.
What the wife says: My pick is the Qashqai. It is good to drive, has all the features I want, and you don’t have to do everything through a touchscreen which I find a dangerous distraction.
Favourite feature: The massive panoramic roof.
Fast facts
Qashqai e-Power Tekna+
£43,210 ( range starts £34,860)
1.5 litre petrol; 201bhp
0-62mph 7.6secs; 105mph
61.4mpg combined
105g/km. 1st VED £405
Boot: 504 – 1447 litres
Insurance groups: 16-30
