Skip advert
Advertisement

Nissan Qashqai range could get hot Nismo and EV versions

Nissan execs reveal high performance and all-electric Qashqai models could join the range

Nissan could add a range-topping high-performance Nismo variant and an all-electric zero emissions model to its Qashqai range, according to senior executives at the Japanese carmaker. 

Guillaume Cartier, vice president for sales and marketing for Nissan Europe, revealed to Auto Express at the Geneva Motor Show that there’s a strong case to add a performance-focused Qashqai Nismo to the line-up. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

• Geneva Motor Show: latest news

“We are a company about innovation and excitement, and that’s where Nismo comes in. It’s about delivering excitement to the driver.

“We started with the Juke Nismo and already sporty 370Z Nismo, but by increasing awareness of Nismo with other [more mainstream] models, this can be the link, so yes, a Qashqai Nismo is possible.

• Best crossovers on the market

“The Nismo brand is well known in Japan, but not so much around the rest of the world – we need to grow the brand as a Nissan family, not make it a separate brand on its own.“ 

We could see a hot Qashqai in less than two years. When pushed on exactly how long before the next Nismo crossover might go into production Cartier was coy, but asked if the firm’s popular SUV could get the Nismo treatment by the end of 2016 he responded with a wry smile before saying, “We have four to five years visibility. That’s how far we are looking into the future, but yeah, maybe two years is possible.” 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

We’d expect a future Qashqai Nismo to be powered by the 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the smaller Juke Nismo RS, tuned to deliver a sizeable chunk more power than that car’s 215bhp output, as well as tweaks to the suspension and brakes. 

Nissan Qashqai EV 

On top of a potential Nismo halo model, the firm also revealed that its electric vehicle range could extend further to models such as the Qashqai. 

Nissan’s chief performance officer, Trevor Mann, told us, “We’re not saying yes to anything and we’re not saying no to anything. What we do have is the available technology. The good thing about having the available technology that works is that it opens a lot of decisions to you that others may not have. 

“I think that we are in a position where we can contemplate what technologies we have and therefore how to use them and which products to use them in.” 

Although Mann didn’t confirm a future production model, with Cartier strongly hinting that we’ll see a new Nissan Leaf EV within two years, developments in Nissan’s battery technology helping to boost range could make an all-electric Qashqai viable.

Would you like to see these two new versions of Nissan's popular Qashqai crossover? Let us know in the comments...

Skip advert
Advertisement

Sean’s been writing about cars since 2010, having worked for outlets as diverse as PistonHeads, MSN Cars, Which? Cars, Race Tech – a specialist motorsport publication – and most recently Auto Express and sister titles Carbuyer and DrivingElectric

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best cars for £3,000 or less
Best used cars for £3,000 or less - header image

Best cars for £3,000 or less

A tight budget doesn’t mean you have to compromise on quality. Here are some great used cars available for £3,000 or less
Best cars & vans
7 Feb 2025
Best new car deals: 15 hot offers handpicked for you
Best new car deals - February 2025 header image

Best new car deals: 15 hot offers handpicked for you

Fancy a brand new car and want to pay for it monthly, but don’t know where to start? We’ve scoured the very best offers available right now.
Best cars & vans
7 Feb 2025
Best-selling cars 2025: the year's 10 most popular models
Best-selling cars - header image

Best-selling cars 2025: the year's 10 most popular models

These are officially Britain’s biggest-selling new cars so far this year
Best cars & vans
5 Feb 2025
Nissan Qashqai review
Nissan Qashqai - main image

Nissan Qashqai review

The Nissan Qashqai moves forward in a few key areas, but ultimately can’t compete with the best in its class
In-depth reviews
14 Jan 2025

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: new Ford Capri looks a lot less controversial at this price
Ford Capri - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: new Ford Capri looks a lot less controversial at this price

Rebooted Seventies classic is now an electric SUV for a low monthly outlay. It’s our Deal of the Day for 5 February
News
5 Feb 2025
Best car insurance comparison sites 2025
Person browsing on a laptop

Best car insurance comparison sites 2025

It’s always a wise policy to shop around for car insurance cover, so which websites make it easiest?
Product group tests
6 Feb 2025
Car Deal of the Day: Bag one of the last Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs for under £400 a month
Jaguar I-Pace - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: Bag one of the last Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs for under £400 a month

The I-Pace shows how good an electric Jag can be. It’s our Deal of the Day for 7 February
News
7 Feb 2025

Find a car with the experts