The last few years have meant troubled times for the global car industry with demands for cleaner motoring coming to the fore. Thankfully, the industry has started to get to grips with the issue of matching environmental concerns with the needs of car users. As an example; enter the Nissan e-POWER Qashqai.
The Best of Both Worlds
Nearly a decade after its highly successful global debut, Nissan is launching the next generation of its unique e-POWER technology on the British-built Qashqai crossover. The technology has been comprehensively re-engineered for even better fuel efficiency, lower emissions and elevated refinement and set for production in the UK. This new power source will further smooth the transition from fossil fuel towards zero emissions.
Nissan’s e-POWER has been developed to deliver an electric-drive experience without the need to plug in, combining the smooth, effortless acceleration and refinement of an electric vehicle (EV) with the everyday convenience of traditional combustion power.
About The Qashqai
On the basis that you don’t fix that which isn’t broken, then the Qashqai, heavily revised in 2024, remains a firm favourite with buyers. If automotive people were asked to picture in a typical family car for 2025 then there’s a good chance they would visualise a Nissan Qashqai. The latest updates reworked the car’s styling, its interior and the technology and now the latest e-POWER drive systems have arrived.
These days this car exudes premium quality and it features quite a plush interior. Top spec models get options like massaging leather seats, a powerful Bose stereo and you can have a panoramic sunroof as an optional extra elsewhere in the range too. Outside, not a lot has changed but the latest iteration seen in our images seems sharper and more focused by design.
On the road refinement is very good. Except under very hard acceleration, the engine is all but inaudible. Wind and road noise don’t do much to break the silence, either, but where this car really scores is on the economy front. You won’t be stopping for fuel very often.
The Benefits
At the heart of e-POWER is a unique principle which delivers real customer benefits, say Nissan: it’s the same 1.5L turbo-petrol engine offered in the current hybrid model and is used only to generate electricity which is distributed directly to the electric motor to drive the wheels, as well as to charge the battery if needed.
Unlike traditional hybrids, there is no complicated gearbox and coupling to combine petrol power and electric energy to drive the wheels, meaning response is instant and the drive is always smooth, just like a regular EV. Plus, like an EV, the regenerative braking technology on the e-POWER system converts kinetic energy into electrical energy and fed back into the battery.
The result is a best-in-class balance of performance, EV-like refinement and real-world fuel efficiency, but with the range and flexibility of a traditional combustion engine vehicle; the sort of mileage drivers would expect from a frugal diesel. There are major improvements across every key area: Range is increased (over 700 miles if driven responsibly), cabin noise is reduced, CO² is lowered to 102g/km and there’s even a sport mode to add a bit of verve to the drive.
Time For Change
For many drivers, moving to a fully electric vehicle still comes with questions about charging, range, infrastructure and changing the habits of a lifetime of motoring. That’s where technology like e-POWER comes in. With its fully electric motor drive and no plug-in requirement, this latest Qashqai offers a clear, confident step into electrified driving, combining the smoothness and instant response of an EV, with the familiar range and convenience of an internal combustion engine. It delivers the experience of electric, without the perceived challenges and concerns that have in a sense held back the change to fully-electric driving. This is how the car market should go. Like the hare and the tortoise fable, development that’s slow and steady wins the race.
Because the engine never powers the wheels, the driving feel is entirely electric, with no gear shifts, no power lag, and minimal engine noise at low speeds. Yet, unlike a battery electric vehicle, refuelling takes place at any petrol station. By removing the complexity of change customers get the benefits of electric mobility with none of the friction. It’s built for drivers who want something better, but not something unfamiliar.
MHH International offer a range of Nissan vehicles like the family-sized Qashqai or the mighty X-Trail SUV for export from the UK to worldwide destinations including Kenya, New Zealand and Mauritius. Depending upon circumstance, VAT-free options may be available. Please review our website for full details including the full range of new and used cars available from a wide range of prestige manufacturers. There really is something for every motoring need from luxury cruisers to powerful exotic sports cars. Our longstanding MHH International export service is trusted by many as evidenced by our testimonial page. Please get in touch for more details.
