Fresh Qashqai shows face

By Conor Mills

09th December 2009

The Qashqai has gone under the knife – and Auto Express has the first pictures.

The mid-life facelift brings the popular Nissan family crossover bang up to date. It introduces an all-new bonnet, front bumper, wings, grille and headlamps. This gives a dash more road presence, as do fresh LED tail-lights. An eco-friendly Pure Drive variant has also been launched. It promises to return around 60mpg and emit 129g/km of CO2 – the latter means low tax costs, to appeal to company owners
and private buyers alike.

Other engines will be carried over from the current Qashqai. There’s a healthy mix, ranging from a 1.6-litre petrol through to a 2.0-litre dCi diesel in the flagship model.

Safety has been improved, too, with ESP stability control now standard across the range. Plus, customers will have the choice of two new paintjobs: Magnetic Red and Mineral Grey. Inside, the main dashboard dials have been freshened up, while the trip computer has also been redesigned. It now features an LCD screen which displays a range of information, including instant and average fuel consumption figures.

Nissan has worked hard to improve refinement, too. It claims the cabin is now a much quieter place in which to spend time, thanks to an all-new multi-layer insulation material for the front bulkhead. An ‘acoustic’ windscreen also minimises sound intrusion.

When the fresh Qashqai goes on sale in the UK in the spring, the entry-level 1.6-litre petrol Visia will still cost a competitive £15,395, while diesels start from £16,795.