The Nissan Qashqai initiated a trend for the compact-crossover sport utility vehicle (SUV) way back in 2007. Since then, the market has been flooded with them, with 26 direct competitors in Europe alone. Continuing our series of interior reviews, we explore some technologies and materials of this third-generation model.
Infotainment
The 9-inch display screen provides access to satellite navigation, entertainment and vehicle settings, and is compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, including wireless Apple CarPlay. Multiple user profiles with memory settings allow navigation, music and system preferences to be tailored to each driver. The Bose Premium sound system incorporates 10 speakers located around the cabin.
The reconfigurable 12.3-inch thin-film-transistor (TFT) instrumentation cluster displays navigation, entertainment, traffic or vehicle information, controlled by a tactile-dial switch on the steering wheel. A 10.8-inch heads-up display projects navigation, driver assistance and road information onto the windscreen.
Connectivity
Home-to-Car features are compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa devices. The system supports various commands, including the ability for drivers to send destinations to the car's navigation by talking to their smart device.
Through the NissanConnect Services smartphone app, vehicle control functions are available such as remote horn and lights, as well as remote door lock and unlock. Smart alerts, including speed, time and zone, can be set with app notifications should the vehicle exceed the set parameters. Vehicle Health reports are also available via the app, which keeps the owner informed if their vehicle requires maintenance. Driving history and analysis is also available through the app.
Drivers can access 3D Maps and Live Traffic, including advanced navigation features such as over-the-air map updates, real-time traffic conditions, Google Street View and fuel prices. Door-to-door navigation is also available through the app including a My Car Finder function.
An in-car button, accessed via the NissanConnect display screen, allows customers to be in contact with the nearest breakdown and towing services. Unlike eCall, the system is not automatically triggered by an accident.
The front storage console incorporates a 15-W wireless phone charger. There are front-compartment USB charging ports and rear seat charging-only ports (both Type-A and Type-C).
Convenience features
Other interior features include driver and front-seat back pockets, front and rear-door bottle holders, rear privacy glass, infrared glazing, fixed sunroof and white ambient lighting used throughout the cabin.
Some welcome driver convenience features include tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment, multifunction steering wheel, power folding, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors, powered tailgate, powered lumbar support on the driver seat, 60/40 split-folding rear seats, three rear headrests, rearview camera, 12V power sockets in the dashboard and luggage space, heated steering wheel, automatic dual-zone climate control with pollen filter, heated windscreen, heated front seats and powered driver’s seat.
The boot has a load capacity of 504 liters, increasing to 1,422 liters when the rear seats are folded flat. It also features a flexible luggage board that allows for shelves and dividers to be adjusted in several configurations.
Lightweighting
The body-in-white makes use of used advanced stamping and welding techniques to increase strength and reduce weight. For example, the rear hatchback door is made of a composite material, which saves 2.6 kg.
The use of Ultra High Strength Steel (UHSS) application has increased by 50% in the structure of the SUV. Structural bonding has been used to form a high-strength reinforcement and bond where the A-, B- and C-pillars join the roof and floor pan. The front and rear doors, front fenders and hood are made of aluminum, which offers a collective weight-saving of 21 kg compared to the outgoing Qashqai’s body-in-white.
Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)
In the ADAS department, the Qashqai incorporates ProPilot with Navi-link. This updated system can adapt the car's speed according to additional external circumstances: when the car enters a lower-speed limit zone on the highway, the system can read road signs and consider the navigation system’s speed-limit data to slow the car to the appropriate speed. It can also use data from the navigation system to adjust the speed for approaching curves or exit ramps that have a tighter radius. It also communicates with blind spot radars to help intervene with a steering-input correction to help prevent a lane-change maneuver if there is a vehicle in the blind spot zone.
Other upgrades to ProPilot include a “flank protection” warning for urban situations, which alerts the driver of the risk of contact with an object on the side of the vehicle, typically when turning into a supermarket parking space. The new system can also intervene to prevent a collision upon reversing from the space thanks to an upgrade on the existing Moving Object Detection alert, applying the brakes to stop the car if a moving obstacle is detected nearby. ProPilot with Navi-link is available from the mid-level N-Connecta grade.
Like its predecessors, the styling of the new Qashqai was directed by Nissan Design Europe, based in Paddington, London, while engineering was led by the Nissan Technical Centre Europe, in Cranfield, UK.
The Nissan Qashqai has been produced by Nissan since 2006, with most of the European volume built at Nissan’s Sunderland plant in the UK. Nissan’s compact-crossover SUV is now in its third generation. To learn who supplies what parts, download our Car Cutaway.
Automakers are offering their new vehicles with greater connectivity and automated driving features to ensure safer and more comfortable driving and commuting experiences. These two megatrends, along with electrification and shared mobility services, are set to transform how vehicles will be driven and utilized in future. Automated driving, especially Level 4 autonomous driving, has the potential to transform the interior of vehicles, including seat design and seating arrangement, which have not changed much over the past 100 years. S&P Global Mobility’s “Seating for connected and automated vehicles” report discusses how connectivity and autonomous driving megatrends will impact seats and seating arrangements in vehicles.
