Nissan Qashqai e-Power 2023 review - Clever or pointless? | batchreviews (James Batchelor)

[@mydogeatspuke]

Look at that roof. Look how huge that glass is. I was about to resign myself to a 3-5 year lease on a car with none of the stuff I've come to enjoy, because nobody is making them anymore. And then this beauty appeared. It could do 30mpg and I would still want it. I've been driving a small diesel that barely manages 35mpg, so 40+ is more than enough for me. If it's even half as nippy as a 1.2 turbo petrol, I'm SOLD.

[@pillred5974]

Yes, only does 45mpg, 25 years ago that would have been the stuff of dreams.

[@alessiobosco]

I've heard of this technology and in truth it was the electric I was waiting for. Big ships use this technology: generators that charge batteries and electric motors that take care of propulsion. It is mechanically simpler and allows you to manage the termic engine at its maximum efficiency. In the case of cars, it allows the use of the electromagnetic brake with energy recovery. No gearbox, no clutch, no huge batteries with an uncertain future... It can work! Certainly suitable for those who, like me, do not have the possibility to charge batteries in the garage.

[@whocares264]

And like pollution

[@riggynell]

it's a full ev electric car that doesn't have range anxiety or the need to wait for hours charging....it's amazing!!!!!!!

[@amiddled]

No on both. You are still burning fossil fuel (at a rate of an average petrol car) and a decent EV will charge from 10-80% in 30 mins. It’s pointless.

[@TheRisto2]

@@amiddled . I think the correct comparison is to an traditional hybrid and in that case the nissan is a clear contender. It is the simplest technology and propably the most reliable system out there and there is a 25% reduction in gasoline usage compared the previous model according to nissan. EV:s just don't make any sense. To expensive, to gimmicky(I mean common, a car with a performance anxiety, not able to handel, small weather changes, Changes in load? Wind resistance?) , to low market share world wide to make any difference, recharging stations are to few, to far, to expensive and out of order to often. Add to that one of the dirtyest and most dispicabel mining processes in the world for battery minerals and what not, environmental dangers from batterys , lack of recycle processes etc. Battery fires are a real treat don't you think?

[@amiddled]

@@TheRisto2 that's not what the user I was replying to was saying. They were saying it's a better EV.

[@diane4488]

It's got the best of both worlds! I love it! 😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️😍

[@Brian-om2hh]

You wouldn't be waiting for hours to charge if you used a rapid charger (about 45 minutes) or you charged up on an off-peak tariff through the night..... And it isn't a *full* EV. It relies on fossil fuel.

[@thesilverfox135]

Thank you Batch for explaining how the system works and making a good honest review/verdict on this car unlike some other car review channels. Refreshing to have a verdict on a car that clear and not sat on the fence so to speak. More clear reviews like this please.

[@batchreviews]

Glad you liked it

[@vnegentsov]

The same principle lies behind the diesel train locomotives. It's actually the only way for tranferring huge amounts of power from a very-very powerful engine to the wheels. That's why it is used in trains.

[@AF-eq4hf]

Not sure how he managed to get such a low MPG. I've had mine for 3 weeks now and even with the minus air temp, (I expect it to be a little worse on MPG at this time of year), I've averaged 68MPG on a mix of roads. I even got 3.5 miles on battery power only in eco. So for me this is by far the best option for an EV stepping stone.

[@freestuffgiveaways]

me too, 650miles on a tank! and I don't need to plug it in!!!!

[@Mrianmarshall]

How many mpg does it do at motorway speed

[@AF-eq4hf]

@ian marshall depends how you drive, if you cruise at a steady speed it gives 55+ in my experience. If you push hard and are up and down the rev counter it will drop off. I've only had the car a few weeks, but it has outperformed my initial expectations.

[@mala5914]

If you cruise at 75 mph for a couple of hours then what is the mpg (UK)? Not a difficult question. Thanks.

[@ProbablyTheBestUkuleleDadEver]

@@mala5914 you shouldn't be going at 75mph.

[@MrTipperX]

Surely this guy is Quentin Wilson's lovechild. His delivery and even his appearance are very similar.

[@andreiarama8745]

Batch,if they put a bigger battery it will be heavier,more expensive and with a smaller boot. And not everyone has a place where to recharge that battery. They did the right choice

[@stevew9957]

loads of space under the false floor in the boot.

[@darrentysoe3606]

I bought an e-power Tekna as I was intrigued by the unique take on hybrid technology and also liked the on-board tech, and quality feel, which has all you can ask for. Apparently Nissan aim it as an all-round family car for those who are not quite ready to buy a full electric. For me, it was partly that, but also there was nothing electric this highly specified for the price. I didn't want anything as big as a Honda CRV, but wanted to have a higher seating position. I am a little disappointed with the mpg, but otherwise no complaints at all. I expect if Nissan keep to this form of hybrid then they will need to extend the range of the EV as it lasts only for about a mile. My next purchase will probably be a full electric, by which time I expect prices to be more reasonable with lots more choice.

[@chrisjgill75]

I am looking to buy this. The sales person has told me to expect 50mpg+. What do you get?

[@creakingknees2928]

Ref the mpg, I nearly bought one but my PHEV has averaged 350+ mpg over the last 2500 miles, so it was too thirsty in comparison. Yes, I plug in the PHEV frequently for maximising EV driving, but that is so easy and convenient with the home charger which I had installed for a previous fully electric car. Yes, I have to pay for the electricity to charge up the PHEV but checking this out with my smart meter it works out way cheaper overall. If the Qashqai had a bigger battery and had a charging facility with the e-power drive that would be a different story.

[@batchreviews]

Thanks for commenting

[@harryuppal66]

​​@@chrisjgill75 I've had mine 3 weeks and can get 53mpg if I drive sensibly. On the mornings though when it's still cold it averages about 40/43mpg however it's new and I expect to get more as it starts to wear in more. On a 10 mile urban journey I can save 3 miles on regen. Love the drive and styling.

[@emmabell8537]

honestly what did you think you was buying seriouly, its not an electric car its not designed as an electric car, if hydrogen comes to the game then the petrol engine will be swapped for a hydrogen fuel cell no redesign needed. its a petrol car that uses an electric drive train removing load from the engine and making a car that would normaly do 38mpg and 0-62 in 9.7 seconds do 0.62 in 7.8 and return 52 mpg. If you buy a PHEV and average more than 50mpg you should have brought a full electric because you do sod all daily mileage had a PHEV countryman 40mile daily commute averaged 48mpg over 3 years the issue PHEV batterys are not that big and once they are flat its a big heavy lump to lug around mits is even worse. A toyota CHR will at best on a run give 65 mpg but its no where near as big and its noisy stuggels on hills the cvt gearbox is truly awfull at delivering power no pick up on motorways if you need to pull out we got rid of ours after a year awfull drive and even worse build quality. If your disapointed with the millage its not the car that at fault its your unreal expectation or a heavy right foot around town using the one pedal mode low 60mph all day long. Oh and as for cost got rid of the countrman PHEV got a 2ltr cooper s even when home charging if you add the cost of the electric to the cost of the petrol the cooper s is a couple of pounds a week cheaper to run.

[@robertbarfoot741]

Having had mine about three weeks, I think its great, but I do agree it would be great if the battery and ev range was just a bit longer. This is my third QQ and I am a fan. The build quality, tech and as the reviewer has said the drive experience is really good.

[@Pawl250]

How much less petrol are you putting into it price wise?

[@asm1]

​@Paul 250 I've had my E-power tekna 10 days. I was running a 2016 VW Golf GTD with a 6 speed DSG. Comparable performance, comparable fuel tank size(55 litres) The golf cost me £80 - £85 a tank of premium diesel. The Epower, I've only filled up once, and it was £65 of super unleaded. Granted, the Dealer gave me £10 worth, but there's still a 20p per litre difference between diesel and petrol where I live. Ironically, the mpg is consistently better than the golf although I've not used a full tank yet. The Golf I could squeeze 400 miles to a tank. The QQ I've done 260 miles on just over half a tank. I reckon there's at least same again before I have to refuel, bearing in mind the QQ is brand new. For the size and weight difference, I'm pleased, and it is perky enough, although the golf had 20-50 more NM torque (there was an overboost) and gears! 😂

[@jithinjames6612]

One of the best crossover out there- #ePower #QQ

[@davidmooney5158]

I had an extended loan (2 days about 300miles) of the N-Connecta version of this car and have to say I was quite impressed. I've been driving diesel cars for about 30 years so prefer the better low end torque a diesel provides. This is the closest available Qashqai that satisfies my preference. I had the previous version of Qashqai from 2014 to 2018. As a Motability customer I wanted an electrically operated self opening tailgate as I use a mobility scooter - which I keep in the boot. Unfortunately this was unavailable last year as the N-Connecta was the highest spec available (yes I know it's an optional extra but not for Motability customers). Thankfully the Tekna version has been added this quarter but with a £3200 advanced payment, so will be ordering it within the next week or so. I live in rural SW Scotland with no off street parking. With little or no public charging points, a plugin hybrid is not an option for me and this seems the best possible option for an EV experience. Is it perfect? No of course not but which car is! I love my Peugeot 3008 but have had it for over 4 years and it's time for a replacement. The trim level I require from a 3008 is available but my max budget is around £3 - £3.5K. At a £6K advanced payment a new 3008 with equivalent trim is out of the question. Any advantage of fuel efficiency that a diesel powered car used to have has been completely wiped out over the last few years. For me this seems the best way to go.

[@dospalmascb]

This is exactly why my partner is looking at this at the moment, we’re in the borders and rural with off road parking but it’s not on our property, so no way to put a charging point. The tekna now has a £3999 advance payment, and that’s just too much. So we will probably go with the N-connecta. My friend has a Kuga phev and it only has a range of 30miles. As for the presenter saying buy an ev or a phev, it’s impossible for us. Might be fine in London or maybe even Edinburgh (if you can afford a property with off street parking). I used to be a motability customer and always had Volvo diesels, can’t believe there’s none now, the advance payments are crazy now. How on earth are you expected to get a wheelchair into a leaf or an i10?

[@davidmooney5158]

@@dospalmascb I'm not sure that's right, as the Tekna trim version of the e-power qashqai is still showing at £3199 on the Motobility website. Which is what I am paying. I ordered mine last Thursday the 9th of Feb 2023. With a delivery date around the 24th of April this year. Tbh, I wanted an X-trail (N-connecta, e-power, e4orce spec, 5 seater) but it looks like the best you can hope for is a late September delivery date, and with little or no guarantee it'll be closer to a year or more waiting time before delivery, as current orders have already slipped by a couple of months already.

[@emmabell8537]

Yes we just ordered one on mobility have done the PHEV thing and if you do more than 30 miles a day mpg over time won't be much better than 50mpg and electric is not cheap at the moment compared to everything of a similar size there is nothing that comes close at the price

[@batchreviews]

Thanks for your comments so far regarding MPG and whether the tech is a good option for you - keep them coming... I'm interested!

[@and1111000]

Numerous vehicle manufacturers are looking at getting around /defeating the UK and EU's legislation. This vehicle is a good example. Be interesting to see how clean it really is.

[@binaryblog]

For me e-power is a great solution and I'll probably buy this version of Qashqai at the beginning of the next year. I like how quiet and smooth it is. PHEV is the worst solution. You have to take care of charging and gasoline.

[@batchreviews]

Interesting - thanks for commenting. Like I said, I can see it working for some people

[@metoo3773]

Yes it is very smooth. We test drove it after owning a Toyota camry hybrid and this felt even smoother :) A bit pricy but a very nice driving experience for sure

[@binaryblog]

@@metoo3773 It seems like we have similar taste. Hehe. Camry was also on My list at the beginning but Nissan feels more modern.

[@metoo3773]

@@binaryblog haha indeed. Quashqai is indeed more modern and a more practical choice. :D Camry can be a bit challenging to park but overall all a great car as well

[@4Js1959]

I am driving a so call plug-in hybrid at the moment, have a EV range about 20 miles. every time after shopping I had to spend 10 hours on changing the battery 😢and I aware that my electric meter gone up two to three pounds after every charge! But I do like it when driving on electric only. And I think the QQ e power can give people more alternative, specially for those don’t have home charge facilities .

[@Brian-om2hh]

£2 to £3 pounds to charge up a plug-in hybrid??? If you were on an off-peak tariff, it would cost about £1.20 or less.

[@reiniernn9071]

I read that this combination is an unusual concept.... For me it's not unusual. Already decades used in trains. (Diesel engine powers the generator and electric engines (with torque at any rpm) drive the wheels. Also another Japan car uses this idear....The outlander PHEV. Because in this concept we do not need any longer a transmission (with all it's frictions) and we can run the petrol engine at it's most efficient RPM....even special develop an engine to be used wit a very narrow bandwidth in rpm. Also energy regeneration when braking, going downhill is possible. it's more efficient than any normal ICE. But still we loose a lot of energy as heat .....it is less efficient as a battery driven EV.

[@malgf4145]

The Outlander PHEV is a totally different system !

[@robertdurston6427]

When you are waiting in a queue at the 2 out of 4 charger points working at the "petrol station" for over an hour look longingly at the EPower passing you without a care in the world about recharging on its way for a quick coffee break for the driver and no worries about will he make to a charging point in 200 miles, think again!!!

[@believeinjesusreadbiblerea5878]

Hi i have question on wich mode is best to drive to save fuel?

[@triphazard98]

Bigger battery and charging tech = more weight = more energy required to move. Good Nissan are doing something different, no manufacturer has found the perfect balance yet if such a thing exists. Different ideas have to be tried

[@LS-ly8gl]

I took one for a test drive, the Ev range when I left was 49miles, after approx 20 mins it was 52 miles electric range. Not sure where you get your 1 mile range from?? I've owned Qq for 7 years and have had 100% reliability. Just ordered the e power.

[@whocares264]

Try it with an empty petrol tank in in ev mode you would be lucky to go a mile with this tiny battery. The reason it went for twenty mins is because the petrol engine was running.

[@stephenberry1205]

But if you can't plug in and don't want to lug around a huge weight of first generation batteries this is a quiet EV driving experience you don't have to plug in. The E Power Note sold 500,000 in 4 years in Japan. Lots of us cannot plug in and don't want whining CVTs with strange engine revs and switching gears. In Australia the distances and plug in infrastructure are minimal.

[@HQLondon23]

Just found your channel great stuff. Better than half those idiots they've tried in the post Clarkson Top Gear

[@piglet5287]

Isn't it similar to the Honda hybrid system where the petrol engine mostly acts just as a generator (except at high speed where the Honda engine powers the wheels directly)? But I don't see Honda hybrids being described as pointless. Then again, they are more economical.

[@Lemming1970]

I think the difference is how small the battery on the Nissan is. Also the engine never directly powers the engine, It's literally just a generator.

[@jimcronin3740]

I believe on the honda combustion engines are able to directly drive the vehicle whereas the Nissan epower are always a pure electric drive.

[@disarchitected]

On the Civic eHEV, whatcar were getting 80mpg around town! Honda salesman told me he gets 40 something mpg on the motorway and 50 something mpg around town, said if you are careful you can achieve over 60mpg, which is very good. So I guess it might just be Nissan’s implementation? Quite intriguing these electric drive hybrids.

[@jimj2683]

The engine is 50% thermally efficient! That is super high for an internal combustion engine generator. Even if this hybrid is barely more efficient than the normal car, it still has many of the advantages of an EV: Better reliability, instant throttle, regenerative braking (saves brakes) etc.

[@seltaeb3302]

Put it into Eco mode and thats when your mileage increases. You can get 600+ miles from a full tank of petrol. You also have to use the regen braking as well. Your driving style must change & it will take time.

[@liamcinq]

Liked the review James, it's as if this car has an identity crisis, glide silently in a petrol station, fuel up and glide out leaving other customer perplexed as to what they have just witnessed. But it doesn't qualify for a green reg plate either. Yeah I don't see this being popular but then I maybe said that about the original cash cow.

[@batchreviews]

Thank you!

[@devenair681]

Price. Don't pay the MSRP. Negotiate. We paid a little more for this car (Tekna version) than other comparable vehicles. A discount of around £5,000 with some extras thrown in as there has been a delay in delivering the car. We have owned 5 hybrids and by comparison, due to the way this is set up the drive is, as you say, very smooth. It is our experience that attainable fuel consumption in hybrid cars is invariably different to those attained when road tested in reviews. Without impeding traffic we got an easily achievable 65 mpg from our Hyundai Ioniq on one of our regular 100 mile round trips. It has a smaller capacity battery than the ePower too. Whilst we do not expect to achieve that in the ePower, I suspect that due to our familiarity with hybrid cars we will get satisfactory consumption. In any event we wanted a larger vehicle with a higher driving position. We drove the Toyota CHR but it was quite cramped inside and the ride was unpleasant. The Hyundai Tucson hybrid was underpowered as they appear to have used the hybrid engine from the Ioniq. It drives better than the CHR but lacks a quality feel. Whilst there is much debate over hybrid cars our experience is that it makes for a calmer driving experience as we compete to get the best fuel consumption so our driving is less heavy footed. After all, ultimately, driving is not about competing with other road users, but getting from a to b in one piece with the least amount of stress on both mind and vehicle. Watch the taxi drivers who drive hybrids. Generally driven very calmly and smoothly. In fact my driving in my old BMW 528i is much calmer with the obvious consequence of an improvement in fuel consumption.

[@bikeman123]

Are dealers actually discounting new cars? Everyone I've spoken to can't fulfil orders so won't discount while other buyers are willing to pay msrp and wait 18 months for delivery.

[@StewartP45]

@@bikeman123 Yes, discounts can be had, Qashqai supply has caught up and they have stock. Stuff like PHEV's are still on long lead times and full price but outside of those a bit of searching will find deals to be done.

[@teresachun27]

Can you please share how much you paid for the Tekna version? We want to order the same so like to see how far we can negotiate. Also what free bits we can ask for? Sorry we are totally inexperienced and 1st time new car buyer. Thanks for your advice in advance. 🙏

[@stevedavies5288]

Hmmm…. I think you are slightly missing the point a bit here. For a normal ICE, a sizeable proportion of the energy you put in your fuel tank is wasted on heat. More is wasted on friction and then there is the hassle of building an engine and gearbox that creates a “driving experience.” Electric power removes a lot of those losses or inefficiencies. Adding a larger battery means you are carrying around an ICE for only a small proportion of your journeys. What the E-Power is trying to achieve is the balance of minimal ICE inefficiencies (a generator should be a lot better than an ICE power train), minimal weight penalties from large batteries, plus the convenience of filling up with fuel. It’s disappointing that you only got 40’s for mpg. It needs to be better than that to justify it. The sweet spot here is the original Jag XC-75 prototype that used the same principle but had a Bladon Jets Micro Turbine as it’s power generation. That would create a lot more efficiency and would be a weight saving over a 4-stroke ICE.

[@davidbarber6268]

Test drove an e-power N-Connecta and have ordered one, so much better than the F48 BMW X1 we currently have, which is like driving a wobbly jelly and is overrated.

[@jeffsmith559]

SNAP! I've been driving Diesels for nearly 25 years, and the e-Power is amazing. We had our test drive on Sunday and was back there yesterday placing the order - roll on the end of March!

[@StewartP45]

Have an epower coming next week, after having had an extended test drive back in October. I wasn't completely sure of it back then-sort of mirroring your thoughts- and spent a LOT of time pondering alternatives. BEV- try as I might I couldn't-as a private buyer- make numbers stack up, far higher cost on a like for like spec and if electricity costs stay high pence/mile may be little better than a 45-60 mpg hybrid. PHEV ? on paper would work for me but again as BEV cost per mile impacted by how much you pay for electricity and also extra cost premium versus non plug in hybrid models. I think PHEV's are more a response to company car drivers taxation treatment right now but will have still have a place going forward. Yes, Nissan may have over-egged the epower PR a touch but basically it's a hybrid that will fill the gap left by the previous diesel models (not if you are towing mind you) and that's what my ordered vehicle will be doing. I felt the standard MHEV was a touch weak at the low end but the torque numbers and delivery of epower should feel "diesel like" Some of the other comments have already touched on economy, one thing mentioned to me yesterday by the salesman was that one customer had initially been a bit disappointed but it transpired he was looking at the "lifetime" figure- which never resets- and this had been dragged down by the car sitting idling a lot during intial prep. A reset of the main trip meters had seen day to day figures much more in line with expectations. Perhaps an issue with a press car similarly sitting around a lot while static photography/videoing being carried out? Useful overall review though and good to see you back doing YT more actively.

[@deadkemper]

Is this a company car ? Because I think if you are repping it on the road you would obviously choose a plug in for tax reasons only ..because a diesel is cheaper to buy and more economical.

[@StewartP45]

@@deadkemper No, not a company car. Private purchase but I still analysed various options. Have to agree re plug in, extra cost isn't really recouped for private user, it's the reduction in tax for company drivers that is pushing most of the sales. Agree also that diesel still good option if you do the miles to justify extra purchase and fuel costs at the moment- which to be honest has always been the case with diesel anyway. As I came to realise, there is no easy way to future proof a car choice just now with all the different options....mild hybrid...full hybrid....plug in hybrid...EV...diesel....! (and maybe even hydrogen too before long!)

[@deadkemper]

@@StewartP45 yer hydrogen i think is better option moving on..my issue is I tow a caravan, and ironically if I move jobs ( which I might) I have to return my RAV 4 and I'll get a plug In that cannot tow , so I'll have to replace my wife's car ...it's all an utter faff

[@batchreviews]

Thanks for this. I was resetting it after most trips and over the course of seven days all I was getting was mid-40s. Presumably other commenters have been mostly town driving to get 600+ miles on a tank

[@StewartP45]

@@batchreviews My apologies, I shouldn't have doubted for a moment that The Batch would have been thorough in his testing! Your comment about town driving did remind me that I had a bit of a lightbulb moment in terms of realising how hybrids work in economy terms relative to what I have been used to up till now with conventional ICE vehicles. Going to be a learning curve...

[@TotallydubbedHD]

Great video buddy; well edited!

[@riggynell]

this is the best car ever made

[@AndriiKuftachov]

We will get test-drive the Qashqai. I'm not expecting small consuming, I'm expecting new driving experience. We'll see how it is.

[@deadkemper]

Are you Quentin Wilson's son? ...you must be .

[@LeeOades]

I loved my BMW i3 and whilst its range extender was essential for any journeys over 50 miles, at least I could drive around on electric for most of the time, plugging in at home. And I always had the option of throwing in more petrol if I couldn't charge. But I came to loath every time the range extender kicked in, the noise and vibration however well dampened, and couldn't wait to go fully electric. As stated in the interview, a larger battery plus a charging socket could have been understandable. But Nissan know the public and reading other comments from those that have yet to be convinced by EV it looks like there could be demand.

[@whocares264]

Yes the new Mazda ev with a Wankel rex sounds perfect, cant wait. What do you drive now...

[@LeeOades]

@@whocares264 Peugeot e-208. Wonderful little car.

[@andreiarama8745]

It makes me laugh seeing people amazed by this car hybrid system. Opel Ampera had the same system 9 year ago and it was a plug-in also

[@mala5914]

Probably a waste of money. It’s just a stop gap for a couple of years until Nissan bring out a fully electric Qashqai, which will no doubt be an excellent EV. In summary - wait a couple of years for the fully electric Qashqai, which is an excellent car as I’ve owned one for the past 3 years (1.5 Diesel engine which averages 55 mpg UK).

[@robertbarfoot741]

I love the car but wonder what the Lithium-ion battery life will be? At a predicted 2000 to 3000 cycles this might not be very long!

[@carltinsley8221]

So the engine is constantly charging the battery and the battery is constantly discharging. Will this repeated cycle cause the battery to degrade more quickly than a battery in a fully electric car?

[@στελιοςκαραγιαννης-π3η]

A question for 1.000.000 dollars!!! I'm kidding. I don't know how much costs the battery.

[@34T2]

Rented a 72 plate 1.5 empower. Why isn't anyone talking about the acceleration on this car. Moved pretty quickly. I really wana finance one but the price is just argh

[@fastifico]

If you click full power. for how long stay max speed. dose it loses battery power and lose speed?

[@avidviewer1]

Very interesting. Thanks!

[@yvs6663]

i would reckon the engine is kicking in because the battery isn't strong enough to reach the demand for power you are giving it, regardless of if its empty of full at the moment you press the throttle. my answer to this type of car is basically: have you tried making a smaller car? something with less frontal area, maybe?

[@SupaNIWA]

Love what Nissan is doing, I’d get it over the annoying PHEV, any day.

[@chrisyue2658]

Can any epower QQ Tekna owners comment on the road noise? I see this model sits on quite low profile tyres (235) on 19" wheels. With little or no engine noise, I was wondering if sound elsewhere is magnified as a result.

[@francoispo1481]

amazing opel ampera did few year ago they never put any ad

[@yofujimo]

The true value of Qashqai comes from the thermal efficiency of its VC turbo engine. Those who don't understad that complains about battery size even if it is actually good enough for e-power. Nissan is a company that is obsessed with engine development and will do anything to make excellent engines. For Qashqai, VC turbo is like RB26 and e-power is like ATESA E-TS.

[@whocares264]

what people don't understand is this nissan has full pollution and more expensive and more complicated...

[@paulmorris4152]

These will fly off the shelves and people will cry out for. Nissan have some very good deals on PCP at the moment and brings that price down. I will buy one, not for the MPG but for the refinement it offers.

[@emmabell8537]

i bet most people here have not driven one, i liked the tech and i get the concept it increases mpg by removing load from the engine the battery moving you from a standstill and the engine cutting in and out when you cost. But then there is how it drives for a car that size its quick it handels well its not a low sports car but its fun. around town the one peddle mode makes driving relaxed and economic and on a motorway it quietly floats along, A big practical fun suv that will do an average 0f 52 mpg compared to all the deisels we have had that promised the world but delivered more like 38mpg except my xc60 28mpg over 3 years

[@nickaf5262]

I’ve got one and I really can’t understand why the engine uses so much petrol just to charge the batteries just dosent make sense

[@simono4991]

That's the most honest and perceptive review of this car I've seen. Yes it's an interesting system and it may be the best version of the Squashfly, but I can't help thinking it's a somewhat cynical marketing exercise on wheels rather than a serious attempt at a viable alternative EV technology. It's a petrol car - other than harvesting the brake regen into the battery (which is more or less all the battery is used for, the engine drives the generator directly most of the time) all its other motive power comes from the petrol engine. If you read Nissan's website closely you'll see they are only claiming it's more economical than a non-hybrid car. I completely agree, if it had a bigger battery and could plug in then it would be the gateway to full EV ownership that people are talking it up to be. A big missed opportunity.

[@batchreviews]

Thanks very much!

[@zoltrix7779]

Yes, its ultimately just a Hybrid. However, its a better driving hybrid that gives you the feel of an EV. Thats important because a much better experience that constant clutch packs and CVTs and ultimately, we need to use less fossil fuels, and there simply isn't enough cells to make enough EVs at an affordable price. Even if it only has similar fuel consumption that a regular Hybrid,

[@23snowy23]

I don't know why it's been marketed as a 1.5 3 cylinder, the European qashqai is an NA 1.6 4 cylinder to generate power.

[@pavek]

In Italy it's a 3 cylinders, and we are in Europe.

[@cornishbuddha]

Your review isn't fair, living mostly in rural France charge points are few and expensive. This vehicle allows me to have the drive of an ev without the worry of needing to recharge. I regularly get 660 plus miles from one tank. Of course you will get less if you drive like a chav or don't work with the regen etc.

[@mgsalmon79]

A lot of people seem to be missing something fairly obvious with the E-power engine, in that it has replaced Nissan’s diesel engines. Nissan realise that a lot of customers don’t want to have to plug in a car at home. The range of electric only cars isn’t as good as an ICE or hybrids yet. The E-power is offering a current solution to the transition between ICEs and full EV. Every review I’ve seen says the driving experience is smooth and refined compared to a traditional hybrid. For me this is just Nissan’s development and evolution of hybrid technology. It’s not a hard concept to grasp. Not sure why motoring journalists are having a such a hard time understanding this. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@robertpowell7672]

Everyone loves to knock the Qashqai, but they were the best selling car in November according to car expert.

[@AboveInShadow]

This SUV woks even when you don't have a power charging grid around town, it makes sense. It's more powerful and confortable than a regular Qashqai. And nobody drives trying to hear the 3 cyl engine 🤣put some music or a podcast for god sake.

[@Imanc]

Where is this car most suited for? Town driving or Motorway driving?

[@disarchitected]

Apparently gets very similar 40 somethingmpg around town and on the motorway.

[@greensidemags]

Dear me 45 mpg 😬 ive got a 2.5 ford kuga phev & ive got 78.6 mpg since new

[@LasanthaNawarathna]

if they come up with 30kw battery, I will buy

[@DigitalHardrock]

I don't quite understand why you keep saying this is an electric car and not a hybrid. It certainly is a hybrid. Its not a drivetrain what defines a hybrid, but a mix of electric and petrol which is different in different car manufactures, while they all rely on both electricity and fossil fuel in different sophisticated ways.

[@24bellers20]

Vauxhall did it years ago with ampera

[@batchreviews]

That was different. The Ampera could be plugged in, this can't

[@gah9186]

Like the format, no ranting and to the point. I have an EV and bought it for the driving experience. The problem is that when you convert one energy source to another, on such a small scale, efficiency is lost… good idea but noooo. Subscribed please retain the format.

[@wayneheyes4934]

I’m fed up of reviews not being honest to customers wanting to buy a qashqai e power, I’ve watched 4 different reviews and every single one has been contradictive to each other which doesn’t help

[@nilxnull]

How are all these journalists failing to mention that the car doesn't have two big points of failure: CVT transmission and turbo charger?

[@whocares264]

But it does keep polluting....

[@ram64man]

This is hybrid nothing more nothing less think of it as ,a diesel alternative, and that’s how you should think of it using leaf and Prius tech to run the wheels , drive it normally you will see 50mpg compared to a real world 35 with the standard 1.5 and improved refinement, I do wish nissa did a 16kwh phev version of the power as that would sell given the recent threat to drivers by labour and green mps who are intent to highway rob drivers for driving with a zero emissions agenda that makes no sense and is technically impossible, I like it a lot but puts me off a little by the lack of full ev usable range even the Prius prime has moved on to offer 36 mile ev range Nissan are mad to forget this market

[@clementte6948]

same thought came to my mind. would have been better if the battery is larger and you can plug it in as well. However, the fuel economy alone and the EV driving feel makes this a good enough tech for me.

[@williamlee1703]

There is a huge Elephant in the room here and that is the Honda eHRV, and is what Nissan have copied here, but the thing is the Honda will do 64 mpg has an equal amount of kit on board as this Nissan BUT is 7 grand cheaper, and I know how good the Honda is as mine will be a year old next month, I rest my case mlord.

[@DJKav]

Nissan have had ePower cars in Japan for a few years now. It works great over there, due to the lower speed limits. They had to keep working on the Euro version of ePower, due to our higher average speeds. So, not sure who copied who.

[@garymc3519]

Is this just the same as buying an electric car and keeping a petrol generator stored in the boot to charge it.

[@bhm1712]

You’ve totally missed the point of E-power. The car is always in electric mode. It is an electric car with onboard generator. It doesn’t need a large battery because the petrol engine is driving a generator.

[@whocares264]

it is always in petrol burning mode....that battery gets you nowhere

[@bhm1712]

@@whocares264the battery is a “buffer tank”. The petrol engine provides the electricity for the motor. There is no drive connection between the petrol engine and wheels.

[@whocares264]

You can't plug it in, and even if you could the battery is so small it would be pointless so this is a petrol car these car makers are conning the public remember the so called self charging hybrid as if the power was from mystical fairy dust, no its a petrol car... A petrol ice car can't run without electricity but that's not called an ev is it...

[@dmartin23]

kind of missed the whole point of the tech. The petrol version is 10mpg worse than this. The epower just means you get way better fuel economy and all the torque from the electric motor. No plug in nonsense and no range anxiety. It's spot on. Everyone is crying out for this. Think you are a bit out of touch. Full electric cars are garbage. nobody wants to sit and wait for it to charge in this day and age, and it's not exactly cheap to charge it. Petrol lives.

[@steveing9980]

So I drove this same spec car today I agree very smooth very nice to drive but what I would like to know is this, I was told by the salesman today that if he drives the car to work each day which approx 8 miles he gets over 50mpg , but if he drives say on a motorway its more like 40mpg is this your experience can any one confirm this. So I've had a dealer price today £5600 off bringing it down to £32900

[@Druze_Tito]

Why would anyone charge a battery with a petrol engine and not a diesel or at least LPG fueled petrol engine? So dumb.

[@andrewrobb5209]

Just go test drive one yourself, then make your own mind up. stop listening to all these motoring so called journalists with weighted down right foots.😂

[@chrisjgill75]

I test drove one around town and only got 22mpg. I assume a longer test drive and some A roads this would improve

[@andrewrobb5209]

I had one for an hour, and on mixed roads trying all the driving modes and it was 2 deg. I returned 59.5 mpg, I think I could get better if I was really trying.

[@chrisjgill75]

@@andrewrobb5209 thanks for reply. I need to request a longer test drive. Dealer was being tight

[@whocares264]

This car has no ev mode , the battery is tiny

[@Martinko_Pcik]

E-power is pointless. EV performance with more pollution than a pure ICE car. It is not an efficient design. A failure for long roads. City consumption can be good thanks to strong regenerative breaking.

[@paulcooper5610]

Pointless 10 years too late

[@howardsanderson2520]

The presenter is the ultimate "Mr negativity" and as for people not crying out for this particular type of technology it happens to be the best selling car in 2022 and 20123. Either the presenter is wrong in his summing up or there are a lot of stupid people buying the Qashqai.

[@seltaeb3302]

Why are you putting on this Quentin Wilson voice & persona, when Top Gear was the top tv series for cars. You even dress like him, all you need now is a Burberry flat cap.

[@johnpamspain]

Very poor judgement. The poor man’s car reviewer.

[@batchreviews]

Very poor comment. The internet’s crap commenter

[@johnpamspain]

@ Of course you would say that wouldn’t you. People are allowed opinions, if you don’t want real opinions it’s time to stop posting on here. I thought your comments about the Qahqai were overly judgmental and biased against Nissan. This is from a Mercedes owner with no vested interest in Nissan. Your reply, pretty much made my point for me.

[@batchreviews]

@@johnpamspain I love getting comments, but sensible and constructive ones John Pam Spain. Your's wasn't constructive and was pretty rude

[@johnwandle]

Stop trying to sound like the son of Needel and Clarkson it sounds fake. I have an epower and in winter averages 48mpg ,more like a diesel 190bhp car.

[@batchreviews]

😂😂😂

[@Lemming1970]

What a pointless car. I'm all for E.V.s I have an EV6 on order ATM. What is the point of you are only getting 45mpg?

[@emmabell8537]

Ok i owned a Toyota chr for a little over a year and to say the Qashqai drives the same shows you dont have a clue what your talking about the Toyotas have a dreadfull cvt gearbox that whines and screams and provides no power every time you encounter a slope. The Epower is direct drive to the wheels you can feel the available torque even on a steep climb with only a feint hum from the petrol engine if you dont understand a fundimental basic like that its pointless listening to you you clearly dont have a clue what your talking aout.

[@batchreviews]

Thanks Emma!

[@naferemix]

Terrible mpg. Toyota reign again.

[@Chb1812]

What a load of crap, goes to show that these old legacy automakers just dont want to give up the old fossil burner

[@Mrianmarshall]

What was the first company to mass produce electric cars. I think nissan started in about 2010.

[@Chb1812]

@@Mrianmarshall they did indeed, but they been dragging their heals regardless, two leads and an Ayria and now this laughable powertrain powered by petrol...,.

[@whocares264]

A full polluting ev , well done Nissan ... I am waiting for the Mazda ev with a Wankel range extender , ....much much better system than this ....

[@leifandersen2756]

No thank you !

[@scotlandsk]

Pointless