The launch edition of the new Nissan Qashqai family SUV will arrive on UK roads this summer with prices starting at just over £29,000. Dubbed the Premiere Edition, the first iteration of the next-generation Qashqai will be available in limited numbers, offering customers a high level of standard equipment.
In exchange for your hard-earned £29,270, or £323 a month if you opt for Nissan’s three-year personal contract purchase (PCP) finance agreement, you get a two-tone colour scheme and 18-inch alloy wheels. The introductory model is also fitted with a panoramic glass roof and silver roof rails as standard.
Inside, the Premiere Edition comes with the Qashqai’s nine-inch central infotainment screen, plus a digital instrument cluster and a large head-up display projected onto the windscreen. Wireless phone charging is also included in the asking price, and customers with iPhones can also use the Apple CarPlay smartphone integration system wirelessly.
Other standard features include LED headlights that can change the shape of the main beam lights to effectively put oncoming vehicles in shadow. This stops the driver being dazzled, but still allows the Qashqai’s driver to take advantage of the extra forward visibility afforded by full-beam lights.
And there’s the latest generation of Nissan’s ProPilot driver assistance technology, which includes navigation-related functions. For example, if the car is travelling on cruise control and the satellite navigation detects an upcoming corner or junction, the system can reduce the vehicle’s speed.
Customers will get a choice of two engines, with the starting price paying for the 138 bhp 1.3-litre petrol engine that’s also offered on the outgoing Qashqai. Unlike its predecessor, though, the powertrain now includes mild-hybrid technology that makes it more efficient by cutting the engine when coasting to a stop and by supplementing the engine’s power with electricity when it’s under heavy load.
That unit comes with a manual gearbox, and if you want an automatic, you’ll have to upgrade to the 153 bhp version of the same 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine. Like its less powerful sibling, it comes with mild-hybrid technology, but it’s offered solely with Nissan’s X-Tronic automatic transmission.
More on the next-generation Qashqai:
“The All-New Nissan Qashqai sets the bar even higher in the competitive C-SUV segment and we are confident it will more than live up to customer expectations,” said Andrew Humberstone, the managing director of Nissan’s British operation. “For the thousands of existing Qashqai owners, upgrading from previous generation models is not only extremely desirable, but also very affordable. The Premiere Edition is a compelling package for those wanting to be the first to experience new Qashqai’s cutting-edge design, convenient and intuitive technologies, and dynamic, efficient performance.”
Gallery: Nissan Qashqai (2021)