Nissan Qashqai e-Power long-term test
Nissan's range extender family SUV promises EV driving manners and good economy, but what's it like to live with? We're finding out...
The car Qashqai e-POWER N-Connecta| Run by Claire Evans, consumer editor
Why it's here To see if a clever new hybrid family SUV can be a viable alternative to a pure electric model
Needs to Combine the performance and ease of use of an EV with the versatility of a hybrid
Mileage 4449 List price new £38,080 Best Price £34,999 Price as tested £38,825 Official mpg 62.8 miles Test mpg 47.0 miles Options Magnetic blue paint (£745)
9 January 2026 – A step back in time?
After nearly three years of driving pure electric models, I’ve taken what some people might see as a step backwards and gone for a petrol-electric hybrid model. However, the car I’ve chosen, the Nissan Qashqai e-Power, is no ordinary hybrid. It is a clever range extender version of the hugely popular family SUV.
It’s based on the same hybrid system that was first seen in the Nissan Note in Japan in 2017; this model proved so popular that it was that country’s top-selling model the following year. What’s so special about it? The fact that it has an electric motor and a 1.5-litre petrol engine isn’t that surprising. And neither is the fact that the latter isn’t ever used to drive the car, but solely as a generator to charge the battery, while the electric motor does all the donkey work.
However, the upshot of this technology is that the Qashqai e-Power is a far cry from the tediously slow but efficient traditional hybrid models I’ve driven in the past. Instead, it’s much more like a pure electric model with pretty swift acceleration and the ability to be driven in one-pedal mode when you switch it into the e-Power driving mode. It even makes a buzzy noise when it’s idling, so overall it feels far more like an EV than a petrol model.
This innovative set-up makes it by far the fastest model in the Qashqai family SUV line-up. Stick it in Sport mode and it’ll smash the 0-62mph dash in 7.6 seconds, that’s almost two seconds faster than the more powerful (156bhp) of the two 1.3-litre petrol-engined versions. Having only driven EVs for the past few years, I appreciate this responsive acceleration, as well as the hushed nature of the e-Power when it’s being driven gently.
The engine is audible when it cuts in to replenish the batteries, but the noise isn’t intrusive or annoying. Another plus point is that there is no gearbox, so the car doesn’t struggle to select the correct gear when you accelerate hard like some hybrids, such as the Kia Sportage.
While the e-Power doesn’t achieve EV levels of economy, it is significantly more frugal than mild hybrid alternatives. Officially, it will do up to 62mpg, which is a lot better than the 45mpg figure for the 1.3-litre DIG-T 158 Qashqai. On my usual motorway commute, I’m averaging 50mpg, which is good for a car of this size and weight. Although this drops to 42-44mpg around town, when I remember to activate the e-Power mode this does improve.
I chose our preferred mid-range N-Connecta trim level because it provides a decent amount of kit, including a 360-degree camera, wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity, Google Maps and Google Assistant voice control, which is easy to use and excellent at understanding commands. I’ve been impressed with the responsiveness of the touchscreen, and I also like having the chunky controls for the air-conditioning underneath it.
Another boon is the electrically adjustable lumbar support that’s standard on the N-Connecta. It makes it easy to ensure the seat stays supportive on longer drives.
While it also comes with automatic headlights and wipers, it doesn’t have heated seats or steering wheel, and there were no options to add on barring metallic paint, so I’m having to do without these features. I think Nissan has missed a trick by not offering some sort of winter pack so people can add these on, rather than having to opt for a much pricier trim level.
There’s one other annoyance that’s become evident quite early on. Although I can turn off the speed limit warning alerts via a steering wheel button once they’ve started bleeping, this only shuts them up in that instance and the car pings repeatedly again as soon as the system recognises another speed limit sign. This means I’m constantly pressing the button on some stretches of road. The car also insists on telling me there is a 20mph speed limit on the road outside my house, even though there’s a 40mph speed limit sign on the grass verge.
That niggle aside, so far switching to the Qashqai e-Power doesn’t feel like a backward step. It’s fairly similar to an EV to drive, doesn’t feel sluggish, it’s quiet and refined to drive and, although it’s not as affordable to run, it is economical for a non-EV. I’ve not yet experimented with using the Eco driving mode and e-Power system at the same time, so I’m looking forward to exploring this more as the miles rack up.
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