Louth Motors: Nissan’s X-Trailblazer

Last week I explained the way the e-Power engined cars work.

Basically, they use a petrol engine to drive a generator to charge a battery that powers an electric motor that drives the wheels.

It is an electric car driving experience without the need to charge the car.

Granted you must fill up as well, but we all know that’s a lot quicker than plugging in and charging up.

For me, the message Nissan is sending out is a bit mixed.

As one of the first car manufacturers to offer a proper e(c)lect(r)ic car with the Leaf, and more recently with the glorious Aryia, they seem to have lost the pioneering spirit and are hedging their bets with the e-Power engine in various models.

It may be seen as a way to give drivers the electric feeling without the charging hassle but with other manufacturers stating they will be all electric by 2025/2027/2030 does Nissan know something we don’t as they are aiming to be all-electric themselves post 2030?

The Qashqai which is a firm favourite here being the 9th best-selling model and Nissan’s biggest selling model, now gets the e-Power treatment.

I won’t dwell on the technology other than to say that the fuel return I got was 5.7l/100kms which for a car of this size is impressive and supports Nissans decision to give the all-electric driving feeling, using petrol and not plugging in.

The main competition for the Qashqai comes of course from their fierce Asian competitors Hyundai and Kia with their Tucson and Sportage models respectively.

Hyundai is steadfastly holding onto that No.1 position mainly due to the array of powertrains available with, diesel, petrol hybrid and PHEV variants available in true Late Late, one for everybody in the audience fashion.

Where the Qashqai fights back is with the entry petrol model costing -36,100 undercutting the Tucson’s diesel model by about €1,100 which I must confess was a surprise for me.

Now don’t look at that in isolation as you’ll need to see what you get in terms of specification and that’s pen & paper territory, but it shows that Nissan can compete and compete hard.

The e-Power engine is a smooth affair and to get that engine powering your Qashqai you’ll need €44,000 which is quite a step up.

Not as much as an X-Trail but still quite steep. It is the price you must pay to get that all-electric driving experience but retain the same method and speed of filling up.

In terms of a fuel consumption direct comparison with the 1.3 petrol version the stated consumption is 6.3l/100kms v 4.4l/100kms for the e-Power version (I didn’t get near that).

We only got this new Qashqai fairly recently and it is safe to say that over the years the exterior design has improved with each model and this latest one is clearly the best-looking version. Inside the car feels plush and upmarket.

The electronics are glitch-free and easy to live with. I only have the car for a relatively brief period so I don’t get to set up all the apps and personal settings, but this is something you should do to get the full, stress-free experience from the car.

It’s amazing how many people don’t do this because of the fear of messing up or is it just laziness?

There is plenty of passenger space, less than the X-Trail, but if I didn’t sit in the X-Trail I’d say the space provided was enormous. The boot has a very useable 504litres.

You get super comfortable seats and depending on the price you are prepared to pay dictates the form of covering.

There are 4 trim levels to choose from. Cabin noise is incredibly low and always a joy to report.

Nothing worse than road or wind noise when you are trying to have a conversation with your passenger(s).

The drive is typically electric with that quirk of the engine revving up needlessly when you want to go faster.

It doesn’t need to but kind of adds to the experience.

At least it’s consistent with a petrol engine car which the e-Power technically is.

I do love the smooth electric drive though and its an experience more and more of us will be getting.

Nissan also gives you e-Pedal one pedal driving which trust me is one of the best things you get from electric cars, and I’d love to see a similar feature on petrol/diesel cars.

A competitor for the X-Trail, having driven both it and the Qashqai, would seem to be the Qashqai.

It’s as big and apart from slightly less interior space why would you go for the X-Trail when the Qashqai would meet 95% of your requirements?

Equally, the Qashqai today is a serious competitor for the Tucson and Sportage and if the sales figures saw it regaining the top spot it would be truly deserved.