Nine years in the making, is Nissan’s reborn small SUV worth the wait – and worth the $50,000 price tag in its highest and most luxurious form? Glenn Butler finds out.
2023 Nissan Qashqai Ti
We’ve waited nine years for this. Nine long years.
Nine years ago Disney+ didn’t exist, nor did Stan, Amazon Prime or Binge. Back then, it was Netflix or nothing.
Nine years ago in political terms equals eight prime ministers, and in technology terms it puts an antiquated iPhone 6 in our pockets.
Nine years ago we were barely halfway through Game of Thrones (the TV show), and the story’s author George Martin was still promising to release the next book so the series could continue.
Nine years later, we know the TV show saw out its commitment to viewers, but poor old George seems to still be afflicted with writer’s block.
Perhaps Nissan had the auto equivalent of writer’s block, making the 2013 Qashqai toil on for nine long years getting progressively older and greyer while rivals got younger, fitter and fancier.
Sure, the previous-generation Qashqai had a couple of midlife nip-and-tucks during those nine years, but let’s all agree that the all-new model that arrived in Australia late in 2022 was way overdue.
Because, nine years is a long time in one of the hottest vehicle segments in Australia.
But the new one was worth the wait, clearly. In fact, we’ve been so impressed with the new Qashqai that we named it the Best Small SUV at our 2023 Drive Car of the Year awards.
So, you’d have to say Nissan spent those years wisely making a new Qashqai that absolutely nails the bullseye for small SUV buyers.
Here’s why.
How much does the Nissan Qashqai cost in Australia?
Nissan offers four variants of the Nissan Qashqai in Australia priced from $33,890 for the ST up to $47,390 for the Ti we’re testing here, plus on-road costs.
All Qashqais share the same five-door, five-seat small SUV body, which measures a compact 4425mm bumper to bumper and has a roof 1625mm off the ground.
All variants are powered by a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces 110kW and 250Nm. This engine is connected to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that in turn drives the front wheels.
There are no all-wheel-drive Qashqais, and nor are there any hybrids… yet.
Nissan Australia has delayed plans to add two hybrid versions of the Qashqai based on the ST-L and Ti versions and costing around $4000 more. No reason has been given for the delay or a revised arrival time beyond “some time in 2023”.
Nissan allegedly also plans to launch an all-electric version of the Qashqai possibly by 2025.
Let’s return our focus to the here and now.
Standard equipment on the base model the Qashqai includes 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a rear roof spoiler, a reversing camera, and both front and rear parking sensors.
Inside, you’ll find entry-level features like an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7.0-inch instrument cluster display, six-speaker sound system, and a host of active safety features (detailed in the Safety section below).
In addition to the basics, this top-spec Qashqai Ti gets bigger 19-inch alloys, adaptive LED headlights and LED fog lights, privacy glass, roof rails, a panoramic glass sunroof, hands-free tailgate, side parking sensors, and a unique rear bumper finish.
Inside, the Ti steps up with a bigger 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, 12.3-inch fully digital driver display, 10.8-inch colour head-up display on the windscreen, 10-speaker Bose sound system, dual-zone climate control, power adjustable driver’s seat, massage and heating function in both front seats, and quilted leather seat covering.
The Qashqai’s main rivals based on price, size and performance are the Toyota Corolla Cross, MG ZS, Kia Seltos, Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, Volkswagen T-Roc, Mazda CX-30, GWM Haval Jolion and Hyundai Kona.
| Key details | 2023 Nissan Qashqai Ti |
| Price | $47,190 plus on-road costs |
| Colour of test car | Magnetic Blue & Pearl Black roof |
| Options | Two-tone paint – $700 |
| Price as tested | $47,890 plus on-road costs |
| Drive-away price | $52,006 (Melbourne) |
| Rivals | Mazda CX-30 | Kia Seltos | Toyota Corolla Cross |
How much space does the Nissan Qashqai have inside?
Small SUVs have come a long way in the last decade. They used to be built down to a budget, but the new Qashqai and its rivals are really pushing up into the premium space of late.
This is because they’re attracting not just young active singles and couples but also empty-nesters, downsizers and retirees.
But then you’d expect them to make a good impression with a price tag of $52,006 including on-road costs (on-road costs vary by location, so your drive-away price may differ).
Still, sliding into the Qashqai’s cabin, you feel you’re getting real value for money, even at that price. The combination of leather and other premium materials plus discreet ambient lighting and big digital displays give off classy, high-quality vibes.
The front seats have heating and massage functionality, the driver’s seat is electrically adjustable, and both strike a good balance between seating comfort for long journeys and occupant stability in corners.
There are plenty of storage options up front, including a decent cubby under the centre armrest, two cupholders in the middle, and bottle holders in each door pocket.
Jumping into the equally premium back seat – but without fancy screens, admittedly – there’s good headroom, legroom and underseat foot room. There are two air vents for airflow, two more USB ports and seatback map pockets.
The tailgate opens and closes electrically, has a hands-free ‘kick to open’ function, and has a close and lock button too, which is always handy.
The boot itself is of a decent size (418L). It has a subfloor wet area and floor dividers with which to stop shopping doing laps of the boot, these are a Ti exclusive and not found on lower grades. There are also a couple of shopping hooks and a 12-volt outlet.
If you need more cargo space, the seatback folds 60/40.
| 2023 Nissan Qashqai Ti | |
| Seats | Five |
| Boot volume | 418L seats up 1513L seats folded |
| Length | 4425mm |
| Width | 1835mm |
| Height | 1625mm |
| Wheelbase | 2665mm |
Does the Nissan Qashqai have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
The Qashqai Ti has both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, though only the latter is available wirelessly. Speaking of wireless, there’s a wireless smartphone charging mat at the bottom of the centre stack.
Both smartphone systems are controlled through the 12.3-inch landscape-oriented touchscreen, which also houses DAB+ radio, satellite navigation and car information screens.
The touchscreen is nicely integrated and has hard-coded buttons down the right-hand side for major functions. Underneath are volume controls and track skip controls, and below that are controls for the dual-zone climate-control system.
The Qashqai TI is the only model in the range to come with a driver’s head-up display and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, replacing the smaller 7.0-inch part-digital display of lower grades. There’s a wealth of different information screens available, from consumption, to driver assist, to media and mapping, but the display options within each are fairly limited.
Is the Nissan Qashqai a safe car?
Nissan has been awarded a full five-star ANCAP safety rating with the 2023 Nissan Qashqai as of October 2022 based on Euro NCAP results recorded in 2021.
It scores an impressive 97 per cent within the safety assist pillar, while also notching up 91 per cent for adult occupant protection, 93 per cent for child occupant protection, and 74 per cent for vulnerable road user protection.
The Qashqai also gets a new centre airbag between the front passengers that can prevent head clashes in side impacts.
| 2023 Nissan Qashqai Ti | |
| ANCAP rating | Five stars (tested 2021) |
| Safety report | Link to ANCAP report |
What safety technology does the Nissan Qashqai have?
Given the Qashqai’s Safety Assist score above, you’d expect a full suite of active safety features, and you’d be right. All four Qashqai variants have autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems with pedestrian, cyclist and intersection support, plus lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, reverse AEB, traffic sign recognition, and adaptive cruise control.
The sensitivity of these systems can be adjusted through the Driver Instrument Cluster, though I found the default settings to be fine.
The lane-departure assist system is of the old-school braking variety, which gently brakes a single rear wheel to ‘pivot’ the car back into the lane if it strays. The Ti’s secondary lane-keeping assist system uses the steering wheel but seems to work mostly in bends rather than on straights.
In practice, the safety systems work well and without overzealous interference. Adaptive cruise control is standard across the range, but the more advanced ProPilot system on the Ti is largely faithful, although I experienced a handful of instances in slower traffic where the vehicle accelerated towards its active cruise speed even though the car in front was not doing anything like that speed.
I also recorded some flaws in the speed sign recognition system. The system works by reading speed advisory signs, but what does it do if you’ve just turned onto a major road and haven’t passed a sign? Then it falls back on downloaded map data that can be out of date – as I regularly observed on my drive to work.
The Qashqai Ti has a 10.8-inch head-up display that projects speed limits, navigation guidance, and other important driving information onto the windshield.
How much does the Nissan Qashqai cost to maintain?
Servicing the Qashqai costs $1467 over three years, $2494 over four years, or $2916 over five years.
That may not seem like much (roughly $500 per year) but rivals like the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross ($299 per year), Toyota Corolla Cross ($250 per year) and the Honda HR-V ($125 per year) mean there are cheaper options.
Nissan offers five years of roadside assistance and five years (unlimited kilometres) of manufacturer warranty.
The Nissan Qashqai will cost $1418.76 to insure per year based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW.
That compares to $1952 for a top-spec Honda HR-V, $1519 for a Toyota Corolla Cross and $1312 for a Volkswagen T-Roc 140 TSI.
Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
| At a glance | 2023 Nissan Qashqai Ti |
| Warranty | Five years, unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
| Servicing costs | $1467 (3 years) $2916 (5 years) |
Is the Nissan Qashqai fuel-efficient?
The bad news first: Nissan recommends more expensive 95-octane premium unleaded for the Qashqai, which will cost between 10c and 20c per litre more.
The good news is you’ll only need 6.7 litres of fuel for every 100km you cover based on our 500km of real-world testing, which is decent for a non-hybrid powertrain.
Nissan claims the Qashqai will return 6.1L/100km.
Fuel Consumption – brought to you by bp
| Fuel Usage | Fuel Stats |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 6.1L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 6.7L/100km |
| Fuel type | 95-octane premium unleaded |
| Fuel tank size | 55L |
What is the Nissan Qashqai like to drive?
All Nissan Qashqais come with a turbocharged 1.3-litre petrol engine that produces a class average 110kW and 250Nm, and drives the Qashqai’s front wheels through a continuously variable transmission.
This powertrain is a big step forward over the previous generation’s non-turbocharged 2.0-litre unit in terms of real-world performance and fuel efficiency.
It’s a touch noisy on start-up but quietens down quickly and is relatively muted on the move. Being turbocharged, it has decent pulling power from low revs, meaning it’s easy to move off the mark and get up to speed.
The CVT is never going to win over enthusiastic drivers, but it is a suitable transmission for this application. It doesn’t have ‘gears’ as such, but instead can vary the gear ratio infinitely to suit the driver’s demands. This makes for smooth and seamless acceleration and deceleration.
The drivetrain is not without flaws. Firstly, there’s a strange elasticity to the relationship between accelerator pedal and engine that manifests in a delayed response to inputs. Step off the throttle and the engine takes a second or two to calm down. Get back on the throttle and you’ll wait a few moments while it responds.
It’s not just binary inputs either. Trying to maintain speed up hills or match your speed to other traffic with moderate accelerator changes is hard work as you also try to account for the powertrain’s elastic reactions.
The Qashqai has three driving modes – Eco, Normal and Sport – which can improve the engine’s responses somewhat but never completely. The modes seem to have more influence over the intensity of the CVT, however, which in turn does make the powertrain seem more lively, but it never totally sheds that elastic responsiveness.
I’ve no complaints about the Qashqai’s suspension tune, which strikes a lovely balance between controlled and comfortable.
The Qashqai’s steering is light and direct, and the car’s compact wheelbase yields a relatively compact 11.1m turning circle.
| Key details | 2023 Nissan Qashqai Ti |
| Engine | 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol |
| Power | 110kW @ 5500rpm |
| Torque | 250Nm @ 1600–3750rpm |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
| Transmission | Continuously variable automatic |
| Power to weight ratio | 72kW/t |
| Weight (kerb) | 1524kg |
| Spare tyre type | Space-saver |
| Tow rating | 1500kg braked 750kg unbraked |
| Turning circle | 11.1m |
Should I buy a Nissan Qashqai Ti?
Nissan raised the price of the new Qashqai by up to $8300 compared to the old model when it launched back in October 2022. That’s a lot when you’re dealing with a $30–$50K vehicle.
But the new Qashqai has the technology, features and equipment to justify the price rise. That it also steps up in real-world performance and efficiency, and is more spacious and accommodating, is just icing on the cake.
The Qashqai Ti is not the sweet spot in the range – we’d suggest that is the $42,190 ST-L (plus ORCs) – but for those who want a small SUV with the lot, the Ti is still very much worth the price.
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