Review: 2023 Nissan Qashqai

WINNER OF THE 2023 DRIVE CAR OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR AUSTRALIA'S BEST SMALL SUV

The all-new Nissan Qashqai has landed in Australia and is already making waves within its highly-saturated compact SUV segment.

We recently spent some time with the top-of-the-range Ti variant of the refreshed model which features some impressive design and technology updates.

Initial Impressions

First impressions matter and the Qashqai certainly makes a good one. New exterior styling complete with more aggressive lines and sharp front grille and headlight design gives it a stylish edge over its competitors. The interior cabin offers a surprisingly luxurious feel for a vehicle in this segment and features stylish yet understated design elements. In terms of practicality, space inside the Qashqai is generous despite the car’s compact appearance, especially in the rear seats and boot.

Driveability

The new Qashqai is powered by a 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine which gives the crossover some impressive zip while remaining pleasantly quiet. The engine is mated to Nissan’s Xtronic CVT which offers a smooth ride for your passengers and goes easy on your fuel consumption.

Where the Qashqai really stands out in terms of driveability, however, is in its exceptional driver safety assist technologies. The Nissan Intelligent Mobility suite is a comprehensive package of advanced driver assist features such as intelligent blindspot intervention, lane intervention, high beam assist, and moving object detection to name a few. This is backed by its ANCAP safety rating with the Qashqai receiving a near-perfect result of 97 per cent in Safety Assist testing.

Another point of convenience in terms of safety and convenience is the heads-up display which allows the driver to receive pertinent information without having to take their eyes off the road ahead. Despite only being available in the top-of-the-range Ti model, we believe this may tip a lot of customers into purchasing this variant over its siblings.

Liveability

The superior safety experience flows over into the liveability experience as well, with the Qashqai also dominating ANCAP safety testing for both adult and child occupant protection. On top of this, the Qashqai offers a comfortable experience for occupants with generous rear seat space offering plenty of legroom even for adults and is complete with both USB-A and USB-C charging ports.

Up the front, both the ST-L and Ti models feature the exceptionally convenient wireless smartphone charger and wireless Apple CarPlay combo that we love. The only thing that may be lacking for some owners, however, is the lack of storage compartments up front. While certainly not a deal breaker, the size of the door bins and glovebox did leave a little to be desired.

Continuing the tune from our initial impressions of luxury elements on offer, the Ti variant features quite an advanced pair of front seats. Not only are they appointed with quilted premium leather, but they also feature heating, memory and massage functions meaning you will always be comfortable commuting in the Qashqai.

To complete the interior luxury feel, the Qashqai features a massive panoramic glass roof giving you the option to open up the whole cabin to sunlight brightening the cabin immensely.

Cost

The Qashqai range begins at a competitive $37,216 (including on-road costs) for the base model ST variant. While you do miss out on some of the luxury features of the higher trims, the core features that make the Qashqai great such as the turbocharged engine, Nissan Intelligent Mobility system, rear seat space, and class-leading safety rating.

For an extra four grand, you can pick up the ST+ which features upgrades such as a larger infotainment screen, wireless Apple CarPlay over the wired version, rain-sensing front wipers and a 360-degree camera view. Another step up - the ST-L - is available for $45,765 and will get you a wireless smartphone charger, Nissan’s ProPilot system, and 19-inch alloy wheels among other features.

The Ti variant reviewed in this article is priced at $51,121 which gets you the panoramic glass roof, motion-activated tailgate and massage front seats.

Conclusion

The all-new Qashqai is most definitely a standout performer in its segment and arguably the leader of its class. As an overall package, it is comprehensive in terms of its strengths without lacking significantly in any particular area.

The things that it does exceptionally well - such as safety and convenience - are also the areas that resonate heavily with its target audience. It’s no doubt a big leap for the Qashqai and will likely be a big winner for Nissan.

We’re keen to see what more they can bring to the Qashqai as this generation develops in the coming years.

If the Qashqai sounds like your perfect next car, get in touch with the team at Motorama Nissan today. Take a deeper look, book a test drive or place an order for your very own Qashqai.