Unveiled a year ago, the third-generation Qashqai will be the first Nissan model in Europe to be offered with the brand’s e-Power hybrid system. The company has been using such a power plant since 2016, the first was Nissan Note . Now cars in the 2022 Nissan Qashqai e-Power version are produced in Japan, China and Thailand, and now Europe will also join, because the plant in Sunderland, England, is engaged in the production of Kashkaev.

2022 Nissan Qashqai e-power

The e-Power system is a series hybrid. This Nissan Qashqai is driven exclusively by an electric motor: it is installed in place of the gearbox and rotates the front wheels. Peak output – 188 hp and 330 Nm, that is, like a “civilian” gasoline turbo engine with a volume of 1.8-2.0 liters. Traction control is purely “electromobility” – with instantaneous responses to pressing the accelerator pedal. An e-Pedal mode is provided, in which acceleration and deceleration control is assigned only to the accelerator pedal. Regenerative deceleration up to 0.2g is carried out up to a speed of about 5 km / h (with the inclusion of brake lights), after which the standard brakes are activated.

Also under the hood is a three-cylinder 1.5 VC-Turbo turbo engine with variable compression ratio. This is an analogue of the two-liter turbo four , which has been put on Infiniti cars for four years now, only without one cylinder. The one and a half liter engine produces 156 hp, but it is not connected to either the wheels or the accelerator pedal. It is controlled by electronics, starting it only when necessary. If only recharging of the traction battery is required, the engine runs in the most economical mode at low speeds with a high compression ratio (up to 14:1). And if you need to feed not only the battery, but also the traction motor, the electronics reduces the compression ratio (up to 8: 1) and increases the output of the gasoline engine.

Alas, the capacity of the traction battery has not yet been named, and the dynamic characteristics of the hybrid Qashqai have not been made public. Only average fuel consumption is declared – 5.3 l / 100 km. At the same time, a conventional gasoline Qashqai with a 1.3 turbo engine (158 hp) and a CVT consumes 5.5 l / 100 km in the WLTP cycle. The hybrid Qashqai does not have the ability to recharge the battery from an outlet.

Outside, the Nissan Qashqai e-Power differs from its purely gasoline counterparts only in nameplates and a modified radiator grille: a black horizontal stripe appeared in its upper part. All specifications and price will be published closer to the start of sales, which is scheduled for the end of summer in Europe. It is clear that the e-Power version will be the most expensive in the range. By the way, the more compact Nissan Juke has recently become a hybrid , but it is equipped with a completely different power plant.