Next-generation Nissan Qashqai to go fully electric
The next Nissan Qashqai will be fully-electric, British-made and priced the same as its combustion-engined equivalent...
The Nissan Qashqai is no stranger to innovation. In fact, it’s often credited as being the car that launched the family SUV trend that has taken over the automotive industry. This time, it’ll attempt to build on its already-huge popularity with a brand-new, fully-electric version.
Indeed, the fourth-generation Qashqai will go fully electric for the first time, and it’ll continue to be completely British-made, with all engineering and manufacturing work carried out at Nissan’s plant in Sunderland.
It’s likely to arrive at a prime time for UK buyers, with the Government’s petrol and diesel ban set to come into effect by 2030. Given the Qashqai’s consistent position at the top of the UK sales charts, electrifying a familiar face could prove to be a success.
No technical details have been revealed, but we do know that the new Qashqai will be underpinned by the same technology as the current Renault Megane and Renault Scenic, as well as an upcoming electric Nissan Juke and a new Nissan Leaf, both of which will also be built in Sunderland.
For reference, the similarly-sized Renault Scenic gets two power options – a 60kWh (usable capacity) battery or a larger 87kWh battery – delivering up to 379 miles in Long Range guise. The new Qashqai model could benefit from even more range thanks to a focus on efficiency and energy recovery.
The current Nissan Ariya, which is also built on the same technology, gets a total power output of 239bhp in two-wheel-drive form. But the new Qashqai could be even punchier than that, given that Nissan’s electric motors could see some improvements by then.
It’s possible that the electric Qashqai may be sold alongside the e-Power hybrid version, which has been popular in the UK market since its launch in 2022. Under the latest revisions of the Government’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, hybrid models can remain on sale until 2035.
The new Qashqai should take some visual inspiration from Nissan’s Hyper Urban concept that was showcased at the 2023 Japan Motor Show. That concept featured some bold, angular styling, which is likely to be carried over to production of the next-gen Qashqai, though in a more toned-down, road-friendly fashion.
No pricing information has been revealed yet, but Nissan has confirmed that it will aim for the electric version to be priced the same as the current combustion-engined car. That means the range should kick off at less than £30,000 when it eventually arrives.
There’s no confirmed on-sale date yet either, but the new electric Qashqai could arrive as early as 2027. However, production of the Qashqai has been delayed due to uncertainties surrounding global EV uptake – which, in the UK, is currently trailing behind the 28% target set out by the ZEV mandate.
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