Overview

Remember the Almera? Of course you don’t. In the mid-2000s it was an also-ran in the family car world that couldn’t keep up with rivals. Knowing that, the boring five-door hatchback was replaced with something very different, a family SUV called the Nissan Qashqai. The plan worked, and over four million have been sold in over 100 countries worldwide.

To keep it fresh for 2024, the model has been given a new front end, with a wider grille that comprises myriad black gloss comma shapes, and sleeker, thinner headlights to complete a more contemporary look. We’ve driven the latest version on the international launch and extensively in the UK, as well as all of the outgoing variants. You can find out exactly how we test cars here. 

Around the back, the same comma shapes can be found in the taillights as the primary lighting units. We’ll let you be the judge as to whether it all works, but we reckon the updates serve well to modernise the car.

Inside, the interior has also been revamped for 2024 with stretches of Alcantara available in an all-new trim grade called N-Design. There’s fresh tech on offer, too, including new parking assistance cameras and an ‘Invisible Hood Mode’ that removes the car’s body from an onboard display camera view so you can keep an eye on where your large 20-inch alloy rims are as you park.

Family compact crossovers are 10 a penny these days, and with each passing year, the line up gets even stronger and the competition more fierce. The Qashqai may be a founding member of the club, but it’ll have to fend off the Hyundai Tucson, Renault Austral, Kia Sportage and VW Tiguan if it wants to keep its chair – and that’s just to name a few. Admittedly, some of its rivals afford a more diverse engine range, with plug-in hybrid options which the Qashqai has never offered.

The Nissan Qashqai is available with three engines: a 140hp or 158hp mild hybrid or the manufacturer’s 190hp E-Power unit that utilises its 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine solely as a generator, with drive provided by an electric motor. As essentially an EV with an onboard power supply, E-Power cars have a single speed automatic gearbox. The 140hp mild hybrid is manual only, with the 158hp unit available as a manual or automatic. Go for the auto and 4WD is an option.

As for trim grades, N-Design, with body-coloured wheel arches and sills, 20” alloys and Alcantara interior materials, completes a five-strong lineup. Base-spec cars in Acenta Premium start from £30,135, followed by N-Connecta for £32,305. N-Design comes up next, then the range is topped-off by Tekna, which includes a gloss black bumper and a 10.8-inch head-up display, and Tekna+ with the whole nine yards for £38,875.

Click through the next few pages to read everything you need to know about the Nissan Qashqai including its practicality, how much it costs to run, what it’s like to drive – and whether we recommend buying one.