Nissan is fighting back from its financial crisis with a brace of new models, powered by revised electrified powertrains. One of these is a new third-generation version of its e-Power series hybrid system, which will power the next-generation X-Trail in the US (where it is called the Rogue) and the Qashqai in Europe.
Ahead of its European debut in the coming financial year, the Japanese carmaker has given selected media – including Autocar – a chance to try out the system, which comes with numerous improvements designed to make the system more efficient and refined.
A large part of that comes down to a new 1.5 litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, based on the same architecture as the old VC-Turbo mill but retuned to optimise its efficiency as a generator. The e-Power system will now run the engine at a lower rev range to increase thermal efficiency, reducing fuel consumption with the side benefit of cutting noise and vibration. Nissan is claiming a significant noise reduction of as much as 5.6 dB.
This turbo triple is allied to a new electric motor that incorporates learnings from Nissan’s full electric vehicles. The electrical component is a “five-in-one” system that combines the motor, generator, inverter, increaser and reverter, reducing its size and also making it more responsive.
That doesn’t mean it makes vastly more power, however, and while the 204 PS/330 Nm motor is 14 PS up on the one in the current Qashqai, it’s identical in output to the existing X-Trail e-Power. Instead, the main beneficiary is fuel consumption, with Nissan claiming up to a 15% reduction at higher speeds and nine per cent overall compared to an equivalent second-gen e-Power system.
Malaysia is only getting the second-gen e-Power system this year in the outgoing X-Trail
Nissan’s third-gen e-Power setup will make its debut in the Qashqai this year, but its first application in an all-new vehicle will be the aforementioned fifth-generation X-Trail in 2026. The Qashqai will instead be a refreshed version of the current model, as its electric successor has been delayed due to faltering EV demand.
It will be a while yet before the third-gen system makes its way to Malaysia. We’re only now getting the second generation, first in the Kicks and, starting this year, the fourth-gen X-Trail and the C28 Serena.
GALLERY: 4th-gen Nissan X-Trail e-Power at KLIMS 2024
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