The Nissan Qashqai e-Power’s Australian lineup could soon grow, with a more affordable variant of the hybrid SUV on the cards.
When Nissan initially confirmed in 2022 the Qashqai e-Power would arrive in Australia later that year or early in 2023, it planned to introduce the hybrid technology in both up-spec ST-L and Ti variants.
However, when it eventually launched late in 2023, only the flagship Ti arrived – with a $51,590 before on-road costs price tag – and there was no sign of the ST-L.
The latest government documents for the Qashqai, however, show the ST-L e-Power variant has been approved for sale in Australia, bringing the more affordable hybrid SUV one stop closer to its local launch.
Qashqai Ti e-Power
Despite this approval, Nissan Australia wouldn’t confirm that the Qashqai ST-L e-Power is in its plans.
“We are constantly reviewing our product lineup and ensuring we have the right product offering for the market,” a Nissan Australia spokesperson told CarExpert.
“We will continue to evaluate the opportunity and suitability of additional Qashqai e-Power variants for Australia.”
In the turbo-petrol Qashqai lineup, the ST-L is $5200 less expensive than the flagship Ti at $42,190 before on-road costs, missing out on upgraded tech and comfort features such as a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a head-up display, memory seats, quilted leather upholstery and a panoramic sunroof.
Qashqai ST-L
The Qashqai Ti e-Power’s $51,590 before on-road costs price tag represents a $4200 premium over the its Ti turbo-petrol equivalent.
There are more affordable rival hybrid SUVs. Hyundai’s Kona Hybrid ranges from $36,000 to $46,500 before on-road costs, while front-wheel drive versions of the Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid are priced between $36,480 and $47,030 before on-road costs.
Based on existing Qashqai pricing, a prospective price of $46,390 before on-roads for the ST-L e-Power would place it in the ballpark of the flagship Kona and Corolla Cross hybrids, though a substantial mid-life update for Nissan’s SUV could potentially result in further price increases later this year.
Last month, Nissan revealed its heavily facelifted Qashqai, with new safety and tech features added to the model alongside a major cosmetic makeover.
Facelifted Qashqai
Nissan Australia has previously said the updated Qashqai is due in local showrooms “towards the end of 2024”. It’s unclear whether the company will wait until the updated model comes before expanding the range.
Both the current and upcoming Qashqai e-Powers use a 140kW/330Nm electric motor to drive the front wheels, with a 116kW turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine serving as an on-board generator for the 2.3kWh lithium-ion battery.
From January to April 2024, Nissan sold 2654 Qashqais in Australia, behind both the Hyundai Kona (5302 sales) and the Toyota Corolla Cross (3594 sales) among other rivals.
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