How economical is the 2022 Nissan Qashqai ePower electric SUV? Toyota's new C-HR Hybrid rival isn't much more fuel efficient than its traditional gas sibling.
Aside from the obligatory badge, the Qashqai ePower looks just like any other Qashqai variant.
Nissan has detailed its first production hybrid Qashqai ePower compact SUV, due in Australian showrooms by the end of this year. But how effective is it?
As reported, the Qashqai ePower is powered by a 115kW 1.5-liter turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine with variable compression ratio, but it does not drive the wheels. Instead, it is responsible for charging a small lithium-ion battery while driving, essentially turning it into a generator.
Like this; The Qashqai ePower front-wheel drive is powered solely by a 140kW/330Nm electric motor via an inverter, which means it is very different from the rival Toyota C-HR Hybrid, which also uses a "self-charging" hybrid system, albeit a series-parallel one. diversity.
Yes, the C-HR Hybrid and other "traditional" gasoline-electric powertrains drive the wheels using gasoline, electricity, or a combination of the two, while the Qashqai ePower only works one way.
So how does the Qashqai ePower compare to the C-HR Hybrid when it comes to fuel consumption in the combined cycle test? Well, the former claims 5.3L/100km, making it 0.5L/100km greedier than the latter by the same WLTP standard.
Interestingly, the Qashqai ePower won't be much more economical than Australia's 110kW/250Nm 1.3-litre Qashqai turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, consuming 6.1L/100km, according to the milder ADR 81/. 02 regulation.
Of course, time will tell what the Qashqai ePower's local requirements will be, not to mention actual performance, but we know buyers will enjoy Nissan's e-Pedal regenerative braking feature, which allows single-pedal control, but not stagnant in this case.
Australian pricing and full specs for the Qashqai ePower will be released closer to its local launch. For the record, pricing for the regular petrol Qashqai due in the coming weeks has also yet to be announced, so stay tuned.
