Nissan Qashqai 2024 review: Ti e-Power long-term | Part 2

What value do you place on style when it comes to choosing your new car? Because I've got to say, this Nissan Qashqai might just be the most stylish option in the small-SUV space.

Now, caveat time. I'm driving the most luxurious, and expensive, trim level, the Ti e-Power, so it gets the best stuff, but I reckon it looks downright fantastic.

I've just taken it on a model-style photoshoot across Sydney's warehouse district, and its sparkling harbour, and our 'Magnetic Blue' (with a 'Pearl Black' roof no less) looked spectacular under a moody and overcast sky.

Seriously, take a minute to breathe in some of these images. The swept-back styling, the two-tone alloys, the long, thin, elegant lighting and the not-too-fussy body styling all combine here to make what might be Nissan's best looking car.

It looks premium, without looking like you're trying too hard and have rushed out to buy a European badge, and I love it.

Now, back to that first question. How much is style worth to you? I hope you answered $54K, because that's roughly what it will cost you to put the Nissan Qashqai Ti e-Power on the road in NSW.

Yes, you're getting the new-gen e-Power hybrid technology, which is clever, and which I won't bother detailing again here (just jump to my first instalment for a rundown on how all of that works), but even the non-electrified version of this car, the regular Ti, is $50K on the road in my state.

That is big money for a small SUV, no? But the Qashqai isn't alone. The flagship Mazda CX-30, the Astina, is around $49K on the road in NSW.

The Kia Seltos GT-Line is $48K on the road, the most expensive Corolla Cross Hybrid, the Atmos, is $51K drive-away, and you can spec-up a petrol-powered Hyundai Kona to an eye-watering $53K on the road.

What the hell happened? Aren't small vehicles supposed to be where you can spec-up a little luxury without breaking the bank? Is everyone just richer than me? Actually, don't answer that last one.

So, if we agree the flagship versions of these small SUVs are all similar in price, and if you can afford one, then there its much to like about the Qashqai, and especially this electrified e-Power variant.

We are knocking off plenty of kilometres in this Qashqai e-Power. This month alone we've travelled something like 1020km so any fuel savings are worth their weight in gold.

We're averaging 6.3L/100km across this month's driving, which I'm pretty happy with. For reference, I just jumped out of the (also relatively expensive, at $48,500, drive-away) Honda ZR-V VTi LX, and I was averaging more like 8.9L/100km, which is something like 40 percent higher than the Nissan.

I could get the fuel use lower, I reckon. But that would require engaging 'Eco' mode, which I've so far activated for about 15min, and quickly found it thoroughly evaporated any joy from the driving experience. I vowed to never use it again.

Money isn't everything, as it turns out, and a marginally higher fuel bill in return for an accelerator that doesn't feel like a damp sponge is a price I'm willing to pay.

Speaking of that mode selector, it is one of the quirks of the Qashqai, and probably a reflection of its smaller cabin, that if you rest your hand below the gear selector when driving, like I do, you'll find yourself accidentally swapping between modes by accident, such is the location of the toggle switch.

In fact, that's probably my only complaint to date surrounding the Qashqai. It feels a little small at times, especially in the back seat or if you have heaps to carry in the boot.

We knocked off a sizeable Ikea trip in it, which is commendable, but it required dropping the rear seats entirely and playing flat-pack Tetris to squeeze everything in.

But even when not using it as a moving van it can feel tight in the back seat, especially for legroom if you have taller passengers up front.

So there you go, money can buy happiness. Just as long as you're sitting up front in the Qashqai.

Acquired: July, 2024

Distance travelled this month: 1019km

Odometer: 4604km

Average fuel consumption this month: 6.3L/100km