Nissan Qashqai - The Sunderland Built Success Story
It’s estimated that there are around 50 different accents and dialects across the UK. Of course, there’s Geordie, Cockney, Scouse, Brummie and you’ll probably know others. I’ve lived in the North East for my entire life, but if I meet a proper Geordie, I still struggle to understand what’s being said fully. It’s so broad and fast.
The names are regularly used to describe the people who live there. For example people who live in Sunderland are called Mackems. The name stems from when the River Wear was one of the world’s biggest shipbuilding areas. It led to the phrase - “We mack’em and you tack’em.”
Sunderland & Nissan
The shipyards are long gone, but Sunderland is now known for another major industry. In February 1984 a deal was agreed for Nissan to build a car manufacturing plant on land between Sunderland and Washington. Four years later, the first UK-built Nissan - a Bluebird - was unveiled. However, December 2006 was to be a key development for the plant as the first Qashqai rolled off the assembly line. The car created the crossover segment and sent shockwaves around the automotive world. Nowadays, almost every car manufacturer has a crossover vehicle in their range.
Fast forward to 2024, and with over four million customers in more than 100 countries (around 750,000 are in the UK), the fastest-selling vehicle in the history of the UK car industry has been upgraded once more, and here it is. Nissan has decided to give the car a mid-life refresh to keep it close or even at the top of the SUV sales chart.
The outgoing Qashqai has been a consistently strong seller for Nissan, but it’s no surprise that the company wants to make sure its star of the show continues to shine due to the number of other SUVs out there. They need to keep it on the boil, which shouldn’t be difficult because there’s not a lot wrong with the model that this one is replacing.
(November 2023) Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt visit the Nissan factory in Sunderland. Credit - Number 10
Exterior
So what are the changes?
Externally, the Qashqai has been given a nip and tuck. There’s an enormous new grille which wraps around from wing to wing. It’s bold and striking. There are also new lights in the back and front. The front lights follow the design of the new grille, which looks good. There are new alloys, and the N-Design trim gets colour coding for the lower body panels and wheel arches.
Powertrain Options
Under the bonnet, you have a choice of two engines. The entry-level Qashqai uses a 1.3-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine available in two power options - 138bhp and 156bhp. There’s a choice of CVT automatic called X-Tronic or a 6-speed manual. The manual is a good choice because it’s got a light, direct shift and nicely weighted clutch. As with most CVTs, the engine revs can sound a bit thrashy under acceleration, although everything does settle nicely when cruising. I’d go for the manual and it’s £2300 cheaper too. The 0-60mph time for both is around 10 seconds and you can even get AWD.
Nissan also offers a 1.5 litre 3-cylinder engine in what they refer to as e-Power. It’s a clever bit of kit because the engine is, in effect, a generator. It powers the battery but doesn’t actually drive the car. In other words, it feels much like an electric car. Accelerating from 0-60mph takes 7.9 seconds thanks to the 187bhp output. Also, Nissan reckons you can achieve 54mpg which is pretty good going for what is quite a large car.
It’s not a thrill a minute drive, but it’s sure-footed, comfortable, predictable, light to punt around town but extremely relaxed when it comes to long distance cruising. It’ll be perfect for the school run and holiday excursions.
How much does it cost?
Prices start at just over £30k (Nov ‘24) for the entry 1.3 litre manual Qashqai in Acenta Premium trim. The e-Power 1.5-litre engine with the same trim comes in at £34,430. If you prefer a bit more oomph and the chance of improved mpg, this could be the one to go for if you intend to do a higher mileage or spend more time on motorways.
Interior
Internally, there’s new tech which really catches the eye. All but the entry-level Acenta Premium gets Google infotainment. It’s excellent, and both look good and work well. I’d shell out an extra couple of grand and move up to N-Connecta trim. If you want the additional exterior design features and something like Alcantara trim and bigger alloys, you’ll have to go for N-Design which starts at £34,845. Most of you will be perfectly happy with N-Connecta which looks like decent value and offers a good, all-round package with a 12.3-inch central touchscreen, glass roof with electric sunshade, front and rear parking sensors, surround parking camera, ambient lighting, DAB radio, powered lumbar support and LED headlights.
The interior design is top class and it has a seriously premium feel. The Alcantara dash is very plush and the seats are extremely comfy and supportive. At this price level, you’ll struggle to find anything smarter.
Opinion
The Nissan Qashqai is a quality product. It’s good to drive and extremely well equipped, as long as you avoid the entry level trim. Chuck in the fact that it is good value for a car of this size and versatility, and you’d say that the Qashqai is still one of the best SUVs around. It may have started the crossover trend almost 20 years ago, but it’s still one of the leaders of the pack.
And it’s rather nice to write about a British success story for a change.
words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Nissan
