After a worryingly long lull in new product launches, Nissan seems to have rediscovered its mojo. Hot on the heels of the new Leaf is the third generation of the company’s pioneering e-Power hybrid system, which made its debut in the Qashqai SUV in Europe.
While looking very much identical to the facelifted model revealed last year, the fairly unassuming C-segment SUV is all-new under the bonnet. The e-Power self-charging setup promises to be quieter yet more powerful, all the while delivering a WLTP-rated range of 1,200 km on a single tank of petrol.
The turbocharged three-cylinder generator may have the same nominal 1.5 litre capacity as the outgoing unit, but it’s a brand-new unit specifically designed for e-Power applications. The main innovation is the adoption of Nissan’s proprietary StarC combustion concept, optimising the intake manifold, combustion chamber and piston shape to maintain a strong tumble flow in the centre of the cylinder. This stabilises combustion when the engine is running lean at the fixed rev range for electricity generation.
Nissan claims that the changes have increased the thermal efficiency to an impressive 42%, while a new, larger turbo has contributed to a 200 rpm decrease in engine speeds at highway driving, reducing cabin noise by as much as 5.6 dB.
Other changes include the ditching of the complicated VC-Turbo variable compression technology (made redundant by the engine’s other upgrades), a reduction in friction through the use of 0W-16 engine oil and useful 5,000 km increase in the service intervals to 20,000 km. Of course, the engine remains unconnected to the wheels and does not drive the wheels at all, instead being solely used to power the electric motor.
Speaking of which, the said motor is now a five-to-one modular unit that combines the traction motor itself with the generator, inverter, reducer and increaser. This further reduces noise and vibration under load when coupled with the improved engine calibration and sound insulation, while power is up a useful 15 PS (14 PS of which comes by putting the car into Sport mode) to 205 PS.
More importantly, despite the battery size remaining identical at 2.1 kWh, the changes have resulted in a 16% reduction in real-world fuel consumption and a 14% reduction in highway driving. Officially, the Qashqai is capable of a WLTP figure as low as 4.5 litres per 100 km, leading to the aforementioned 1,200 km of range. Carbon dioxide emissions have also been dropped some 12% to 102 grams per kilometre.
Nissan says the longer range means the Qashqai e-Power will now travel further than most traditional plug-in hybrids without the need to stop and charge. As such, the car will provide a gateway towards electrification for those still sceptical about EVs or who are incapable of switching to one, while still delivering the benefits of instant torque and low noise, the carmaker added.
Aside from the new powertrain, the Qashqai has also been enhanced for 2025 with built-in Google services such as Google Maps, the Google Assistant and the Play Store. There’s also an enhanced ProPilot Level 2 semi-autonomous driving function with improved multi-lane autonomy, delivering better traffic monitoring and awareness of the surrounding environment. The updated model will go on sale in Europe in September.
In Malaysia, Nissan’s e-Power technology is currently only offered on the Kicks, launched here at the Kuala Lumpur International Mobility Show (KLIMS) late last year. The “new” X-Trail was supposed to debut the second-generation system with the VC-Turbo engine, but there’s been no news on that front since the car was previewed at the same show.
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