2023 Nissan Qashqai

With this new generation, Nissan has lifted the Qashqai from one of the also-rans in the segment in terms of cabin execution towards the top of the class – particularly as far as the ST-L and Ti are concerned.

Swathes of soft-touch, leatherette-padded surfaces, high-quality upholstery and high-resolution displays all combine to offer a tangibly upmarket ambience, giving the likes of the Mazda CX-30 some proper competition, and even the more premium marques.

The Qashqai maintains its big-car feel up front, with an upright and broad dashboard fascia giving an impression of height and width, while the elevated driving position will appeal to those wanting a commanding view.

Seat comfort in the ST-L and Ti is good with their respective cloth/leather combination and quilted leather seats, with the former offering power driver adjustment and the latter offering power adjustment for both front seats including driver memory and massaging functions for both front occupants.

Ergonomics are sound, with clearly labelled switchgear and physical HVAC controls (hooray!), while the slot for your phone and cupholders between the front seats complement the deep centre cubby under the padded centre armrest.

One particular highlight of note are the door bins up front, which can accommodate my chunky Frank Green 1L water bottle – something most cars lately can’t seem to muster, other than the VW Golf and Tiguan.

While the blue leatherette accents throughout the interior seem to work with the exterior colour our Ti test car, I question whether it matches with all of the Qashqai’s other exterior paint choices. Plus, some people may simply dislike having blue upholstery accents – let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

The second row has long been a Qashqai strong point in the compact class, and this new generation continues that trend in the face of newer competition.

As a four seater, the Qashqai can happily carry six-footers behind taller front occupants, and the addition of rear air vents and USB-A and USB-C charge points are welcome additions over its predecessor.

A third can squeeze in the middle at a pinch, but if you’re regularly ferrying lanky teenagers I might suggest walking across the showroom floor and looking at an X-Trail.

There’s also a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, map pockets behind both front seats, and bottle holders in the rear doors. Kiddies are catered for with ISOFIX anchors on the outboard seats, as well as top-tether points across all three rear positions. The rear doors open nice and wide, too.

We will note the Ti’s fixed panoramic roof, while very panoramic in outward view, does eat into rear headroom a bit. It also felt like the Qashqai’s vast glasshouse across the front, sides and roof made the cabin particularly hot during Melbourne’s very hot Christmas period.

The 2023 Nissan Qashaqi's new engine is a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder making 110kW of power (5500rpm) and 250Nm of torque (1600-3750rpm), driving the front wheels through an ‘X-Tronic’ CVT.

It comes standard with stop/start and three driving models that tweak throttle response; called Sport, Normal and Eco.

These figures are up 4kW and 50Nm over the 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine that powered the old model.

While not available at launch, the new Qashqai will also be the first Nissan in Australia to offer an e-Power series hybrid, in which a petrol generator drives an electric motor, which in turn drives the wheels.

ST+ and up score a huge 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, as well as embedded satellite navigation with live traffic updates, AM/FM/DAB+ digital radio, six-speaker audio, as well as USB-A and USB-C connectivity up front.

ST-L and Ti grades add a wireless smartphone charger, while the flagship grade exclusively gets a quality 10-speaker BOSE premium audio system with digital amplifier and BOSE Acoustimass Bass Box technology, in addition to a 10.8-inch colour head-up display and a 12.3-inch TFT digital instrument cluster with configurable views and menus.

At times the centre touchscreen can be a little laggy and the digital instrument cluster isn’t as customisable as the stuff from Volkswagen.

Further, Nissan doesn’t offer net-based connected functions on the Qashqai like we’re seeing from other brands, namely Kia and Toyota, as well as the premium marques. Not a deal-breaker, but worth a mention.