A completely new interior and E-Power hybrid variant mark the key points of the new Nissan SUV

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SINGAPORE

The new Nissan Qashqai has just been revealed, and the car will have hybrid tech for the first time in the history of its production. 

The size and proportions of the new, third-generation Nissan Qashqai are broadly similar to the outgoing model though the redesign put it firmly into the current Nissan family design language.

Apparently you can get the SUV with huge wheels of up to 20 inches in size,  plus there’s a new two-tone roof option as well.

It’s the inside of the car, plus under the bonnet, where things get much more exciting. The dashboard dips towards the centre console to accommodate a 9-inch high definition display screen and there’s a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display. Analog dials in the instrument cluster have been consigned to the pages of history. Furthermore, high-spec variants get an optional heads-up display.

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White ambient lighting in the cabin is apparently standard and Nappa leather seats with a massage function are also options. 

It’s still a five-seater, but there’s 28mm more legroom in the back now and 15mm more headroom all round.

Boot space has gone up to 504 litres, a 74-litre increase over the old model. 

Nissan states that a whole new infotainment system has been developed for the Qashqai, and while onboard navigation is expected to be available, you might prefer to stick with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, though only CarPlay gets a wireless connection option at the moment.

Apparently you can use the NissanConnect app to control the horn, lights and central locking from your phone. Just a year ago these features were the exclusive domain of luxury car brands, which really shows how fast consumer tech is moving these days. 

Active safety features, called ProPilot in Nissan cars, includes an intelligent cruise control system that is able to take partial control of the throttle, steering and brakes on highways, which it bases on GPS data. 

The automatic emergency braking system works in reverse as well as forwards, so you don;t accidentally run over small children or crash into other fast moving cars in car parks. 

The new Nissan Qashqai is getting various petrol and hybrid engines worldwide depending on the markets, and a source from Nissan distributor Tan Chong Motor Sales in Singapore told us that we’re likely to be getting one of the 1.3-litre, mild hybrid variants here first. 

The four-cylinder petrol engine has two options: coming as either a 138hp or 156hp option. The original engine block was introduced in the 2018 Qashqai, but has been further refined for even lower emissions. 

However given the news that petrol prices are going up in Singapore and that the government is really encouraging drivers here to make the switch to petrol-electric hybrids and electric vehicles, what we really expect is that the 157hp, E-Power version of the new Qashqai to eventually be imported here.

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It uses Nissan’s proprietary hybrid drive technology, which rather than using an electric motor running together with the petrol engine like many other hybrids out there, it uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine to charge up the batteries powering a 190hp electric motor. The petrol engine serves only to provide charging power and does not directly drive the car.

Current Nissan E-Power models already available in Singapore include the Serena and Kicks.

We’re expecting the new Qashqai to arrive in Singapore by the second half of 2021. It’s too early for pricing details, but as current COE prices go, we think it will be in the S$120k++ with COE range. 

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