Nissan’s Corolla Cross rival gets more affordable hybrid tech

Nissan only launched the latest Qashqai in Australia in February, but the facelifted SUV’s lineup is already being expanded to give buyers more choice, and at more affordable prices.

Today Nissan announced its unique hybrid ‘e-Power’ powertrain will expand from two to three variants, with the new Qashqai Ti e-Power joining the existing Ti-L and N-Design e-Power grades.

Starting from $47,165 before on-road costs, the Qashqai Ti e-Power is $5200 less expensive than the Ti-L e-Power, but $4200 dearer than its petrol-powered Ti counterpart.

That brings the total number of Qashqai variants up to seven, with four petrol-only grades, and three e-Power models.

Unlike most hybrid systems – like that found in the similarly sized Toyota Corolla Cross – the e-Power powertrain doesn’t see the petrol engine drive the wheels with electric assistance.

Instead, the petrol engine acts as a generator to the small onboard battery, which supplies power to its single electric motor at the front axle. There is no physical connection between the petrol engine and wheels.

The electric motor is a 140kW and 330Nm unit, fed by a 2.1kWh lithium-ion battery which is charged by a turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, itself producing 116kW and 250Nm.

Nissan claims the e-Power system consumes 4.8L/100km, making it more fuel efficient than the 110kW/250Nm turbocharged 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine available in cheaper Qashqais, which has a consumption of 5.8-6.1L/100km.

The e-Power emits 112g/km of CO2, rather than the 134-138g/km claim of the petrol model. While Nissan recommends 95 octane premium unleaded for both, they can run on 91 octane.

It’s worth noting that Nissan is set to launch its new-generation e-Power system in Australia between April 2026 and March 2027, featuring better fuel efficiency, lower emissions and power increases to 151kW in normal driving modes, or 161kW in sport mode.

“e-Power technology is now more accessible than ever before, and we can’t wait for Australian drivers to experience it for themselves,” said Warwick Daly, Nissan Australia’s deputy director product and retail campaigns.

Standard equipment in the entry-level Qashqai ST includes:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Automatic LED headlights
• LED tail lights
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Automatic rear wiper
• Auto-folding side mirrors
• Synthetic leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Cloth upholstery
• Power-adjustable driver’s seat lumbar support
• 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
• 6-speaker sound system
• DAB+ digital radio
• 2 x front and rear USB-C outlets
• Dual-zone climate control
• Paddle shifters
• 7 airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
  • Pedestrian, cyclist detection
  • Junction assist
  • Reverse AEB including pedestrian detection
• Active speed limiter
• Adaptive cruise control
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Forward collision warning
• Lane departure warning
• Lane-keep assist
• Rear parking sensors
• Reversing camera
• Traffic sign recognition
• Tyre pressure monitoring

The Qashqai ST-L adds:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Satellite navigation
• Wireless phone charger
• Front parking sensors
• Moving object detection
• Surround-view camera

The Qashqai Ti adds:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• Adaptive LED headlights
• Privacy glass
• Roof rails
• Heated steering wheel
• Heated front seats
• Eight-way power-adjustable driver seat with memory
• PVC and leather accented upholstery
• Passenger lumbar
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• Customisable ambient lighting
• Frameless auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Lane centring 
• Alarm

The Qashqai Ti-L adds:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Panoramic glass roof with electric sun shade
• Hands-free power tailgate
• Leather upholstery
• Black Alcantara dashboard, knee pad and door panels
• Front massage seats
• Eight-way power-adjustable passenger seat
• 10.8-inch head-up display
• 10-speaker Bose sound system
• Parking assist
• Side parking sensors

The Qashqai N-Design adds:

• Unique 20-inch alloy wheels
• Body-coloured bumpers and over fenders
• Gloss black exterior trim
• Dynamic indicators
• Two-tone black roof
• Black roof rails
• Unique grille design
• Black Alcantara and leather upholstery