2022 Nissan Qashqai review: New SUV ticks a lot of boxes

There are more than two dozen small SUVs on sale in Australia, but few can match the all-round ability of this brand new model.

The new Qashqai is an above-average compact SUV, no matter what’s under the bonnet.

Roomy, quiet, comfortable, well made, good looking and user-friendly, Nissan’s new Qashqai is a very easy SUV to like.

The new model is rolling into showrooms across Europe, providing an opportunity for us to try it in Rome at its Italian market launch.

Though slightly larger than the current model in every dimension, the new Qashqai is more compact than the hugely popular Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5.

The new Nissan Qashqai has launched in Europe before its Australian arrival.

Despite its smaller size, there’s no shortage of space inside. The distance between the front and rear axles has grown by 20mm, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s enough to make a noticeable difference to rear-seat knee room.

And the Nissan’s seating is outstanding. For both comfort and support, the front seats are truly excellent.

The rear seats are also very good, and access to them is made super easy by wide-opening rear doors. Full-size adults will have no trouble getting in and getting comfortable back there.

It is smaller than the Mazda CX-5 but bigger than most small SUVs.

Luggage space is also impressive. Compared to the current Qashqai, the new model’s cargo compartment is about 15 per cent bigger.

The interior also has visual appeal. Uncluttered, neatly arranged and carefully designed, it’s more than a little Mazda-like. That’s a compliment, by the way. The plastics and other materials appear high quality.

In the high-grade Tekna and Tekna+ equipment grades Nissan brought to Rome, the level of interior tech was impressive. The Tekna+ had a configurable 12.3-inch instrument display, a nine-inch central touchscreen with Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, a head-up display and a 10-speaker Bose sound system. It’s not clear how many of these items will make it to Australia, but given the level of equipment in the latest Juke, we should see most of it.

The interior has been given a big boost with plenty of tech and comfort features.

It’s a similar situation with safety and driver-assist tech. In Europe the top Qashqai models come equipped with advanced autonomous emergency braking. It can recognise and react to pedestrians and bicycle riders as well as vehicles, and also operates when reversing. It has blind-spot warning and intervention capability, plus lane-keeping intervention. There’s a dozy-driver alert system, too.

The crisp-edged exterior of the new Qashqai, designed in Nissan’s London studio, incorporates some features to cut aerodynamic drag, such as air-curtains for the front wheel arches. While the nose is clearly Nissan, overall it’s a neat and fairly conventional looking SUV that’s neatly attractive rather than drop-dead gorgeous.

Nissan is sharp looking without being over the top.

Where the new Qashqai really shines is the way it drives. Engine, tyre and wind noise levels are very low, even on the awful roads in and around Italy’s capital. The suspension set-up is on the soft side, which means it copes well with rough surfaces, but it’s no bouncy-castle on wheels.

The Nissan’s handling is quite car-like, and not a bad car at that. While it lacks feel, the steering is light, precise and accurate. The new Qashqai turns in to bends with the kind of eagerness not found in many other SUVs and is stable when carving corners.

In Europe the new Qashqai is equipped with a turbo 1.3-litre four fitted with a mild-hybrid system. This engine comes in two power levels. It’s expected that Australia will see only the high-output version, most likely without the mild-hybrid system (fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions being important in Europe, but less so here).

The Qashqai is bigger in every direction compared to the previous model.

Assuming the Australian market engine at least matches the 116kW maximum power of the high-output European, the new Qashqai will have enough performance for most potential buyers. It’s strong enough to satisfy in the middle part of its rev range and it helps that the new model’s body is 60kg lighter than the old one’s.

Most Australians are sure to opt for the automatic, which is a stepless CVT (continuously variable transmission). It’s set up to mimic the behaviour of a conventional automatic, so it doesn’t drone at constant revs like some other CVT-equipped cars. At the same time, it’s smoother than an ordinary auto.

While Nissan sells the new Qashqai in Europe with all-wheel drive, the old model is front-drive only in Australia. This situation isn’t likely to change with the arrival of the new model next year.

Nissan’s big UK plant in Sunderland will build the new Qashqai for Australia. From next year it will add a version with the company’s 140kW ePower hybrid drive-train with better performance and efficiency. It’s likely to become part of the Australian model mix, too.

What you can count on for now is that the new Qashqai is an above-average compact SUV, no matter what’s under the bonnet.

2022 NISSAN QASHQAI TI VITALS

Price: Likely to be between $40,000 and $45,000

Safety: Auto emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert with braking, adaptive cruise, blind-spot and lane-keep assist, driver drowsiness alert

Engine: 1.3-litre 4-cyl turbo, about 116kW and 270Nm

Thirst: 6.5L/100km (Euro cycle)

Boot: About 500L

Originally published as 2022 Nissan Qashqai review: New SUV ticks a lot of boxes