NISSAN QASHQAI DIG-T

The fancy hybrid is compelling, but what about the cheaper petrol?

- MATT SAUNDERS

Nissan has clearly wanted you to think of its big-selling Qashqai crossover, now three generations and a facelift old, as a kind of reassuringly familiar technological bridge to the future.

Back in 2022, it introduced the ePower version, an innovative series hybrid driven primarily by its electric motor, then promoted it as a smart alternative to either a plug-in hybrid or a fully electric car. It was supposed to deliver an EV feel with none of the usability drawbacks.

But it has turned out that Nissan buyers are still a fairly conservative bunch: six in 10 Qashqais sold in the UK are powered by the more conventional 48V mild-hybrid petrol system in our test car here.

Driven primarily by a 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, it offers 138bhp and 156bhp states of tune and the choice of a six-speed manual gearbox or a CVT, the latter with part-time four-wheel drive if you prefer.