New-generation crossover turns hybrid
Nissan has revealed the latest generation of the Qashqai will be a hybrid as the carmaker aims to electrify more of its range.
The compact crossover, which will be the third iteration of the model, is currently being tested on European roads and is due to go on sale in the first half of 2021.
Since its debut in 2007, the Qashqai has sold more than five million units worldwide.
Designers and engineers based in the UK have developed the latest version of the car that will come with two powertrain options. One pairs a 1.3-litre petrol engine with mild hybrid technology, and the other sees Nissan introduce its e-Power electric motor driven system.
Nissan says the latter choice will bring the “exciting instant and linear acceleration EV feeling to the Qashqai, without the range concerns”.
In a conventional hybrid, the wheels are driven by an electric motor and petrol engine. However, the e-Power system offers full electric motor drive and the petrol engine simply charges the battery.
“The key difference compared with other conventional hybrids is that the electric motor is the size of one typically found in a pure EV, giving the instant acceleration response which is so popular among EV customers,” explains Nissan.
The new Qashqai will be based on the company’s CMF-C platform, which uses different technology and materials to increase the strength of the vehicle but makes it lighter than previous versions.
It will also boast ProPilot driver assistance to support drivers and the updated system can provide a steering input to help prevent lane changes when there is a vehicle in the driver’s blind-spot. It can also adapt the car’s speed according to external circumstances, such as lower speed limits on highways.
The hybrid will first go on sale in Europe and will be manufactured at Nissan’s plant in Sunderland in the north-east of the UK.
Development of the Qashqai stands within the wider Nissan electrification strategy, while its NEXT transformation plan has a goal of electrified vehicles representing half of its sales in Europe by the end of 2023.
