Hitting Highland Perthshire in the updated Nissan Qashqai

The Nissan Qashqai is credited with starting the craze for family SUVs.

Since it was launched a slew of excellent competitors have sprung up, including the Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage, Ford Kuga, and Skoda Karoq.

When a third generation version of the Qashqai was delivered to my home in Dundee I was excited to see how it would stack up against such strong opposition.

The car recently received a mid-life update, with styling tweaks inside and out, improvements to the infotainment system, and improved refinement.

I immediately hopped behind the wheel and took it for a turn around Dundee. You can select different steering modes and switching to the lightest setting made negotiating the Overgate multi-storey carpark much easier. The car’s relatively compact size also means it feels much more manoeuvrable in city traffic than larger SUVs.

The following day I had a work job in Highland Perthshire that proved the ideal opportunity to test the claimed improvements in refinement. Getting up to 70mph on a stretch of the newly dualled A9 the car was quiet enough that I didn’t have to increase the volume on the podcast I was listening to.

Coming off the A9 and onto a series of increasingly narrow country lanes, the suspension made light work of uneven surfaces and awkward cambers. It doesn’t get close to Range Rover levels of comfort but it’s up there with the best of the family SUV class.

What’s under the bonnet?

Three engine options are available for the Qashqai. There’s a 1.3 litre mild hybrid petrol offered with 138bhp or 156bhp. Then there’s the model I drove, which is a bit more unusual. The Qashqai e-Power has a 1.5 litre petrol engine but that exists solely to charge the battery, which powers an electric motor that drives the front wheels.

You don’t need to plug it in so it’s just as simple to use as any petrol powered car. With 190bhp, it’s also the fastest Qashqai and can complete the 0-62mph dash in 7.9 seconds.

Although it costs a little more it’s the engine option I would recommend. The electric motor gives you the instant, effortless acceleration you get from electric cars but without any worries about charging times or range anxiety (if you do want a fully electric Nissan I can recommend the excellent Ariya).

Despite being the most powerful version of the car, it’s also the most economical thanks to its electric technology. Official fuel economy is 53mpg, and my car wasn’t far off getting 50mpg after a week of mixed driving in Tayside and Fife.

How much does the Nissan Qashqai cost?

Prices for the Nissan Qashqai start at just under £29,000 and the high spec Tekna+ e-Power version I drove cost around £43,000. It came with all-bells-and-whistles, including leather seats with electric adjustment, a Bose sound system, head-up display, power tailgate, heated seats and steering wheel, and a panoramic glass roof.

The Qashqai has physical controls for the heating and fan systems.

An upgraded 12.3in infotainment system works more quickly and smoothly than the previous generation Qashqai and has smartphone mirroring. It also has Google Maps, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa built in, so you can control lots of stuff by voice in the same way you can with technology at home.

Blessedly, Nissan hasn’t buried all the controls in a touchscreen. I drive a new car every week and I’m fed up ferreting around in submenus to increase the temperature, adjust the volume, or turn the heated seats on.

The heating and fan systems are operated by large dials that can be adjusted in less than a second without taking your eyes off the road. Hopefully other manufacturers will take note and start using physical switchgear again.

Should I buy a Qashqai?

Overall, the interior looks and feels smartly put together. Neat ambient lighting makes it a pleasant place to be after dark. You’d have to go for a Range Rover Evoque, Volvo XC40, or BMW X1 before you found a noticeably plusher cabin.

Space in the rear is plentiful enough for two tall adults, and a third could fit in the middle seat with a bit of a squeeze. Boot space is good enough, and there’s a neat under-floor storage space that can be used for hiding valuables or stashing muddy boots and gear.

The Kia Sportage, Skoda Karoq and Mazda CX-5 all offer a bit more boot space if practicality is your focus.

Nissan didn’t tinker too much with a successful formula when they facelifted the Qashqai. It’s slightly better looking, slightly more refined, slightly more economical, and slightly more polished inside.

It was already a good car, however, so small improvements are fine by me.