Nissan has confirmed that the all-new, 3rd-generation Qashqai will go on sale in South Africa towards the end of 2021. Our UK correspondent recently visited the acclaimed Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire, England, to shake down the Japanese brand’s compact family car and filed this first-drive impression.

The combination of an elevated driving position, stylish, rugged looks and down-to-earth running costs made the original Nissan Qashqai a huge global hit following its arrival in 2008. Its popularity continued unabated with the arrival of the 2nd-generation in 2014 and, as the production run of that model concluded just a few weeks ago, a scarcely believable 5million Qashqais had found homes across the globe.

Nissan revealed its 3rd-generation Qashqai in February this year. Last month, I became more acquainted with it at one of the world’s harshest proving grounds – Millbrook. For openers, I would respectfully suggest that rival manufacturers assume the brace position because things are going to get a little uncomfortable for them…

What’s new?

As with almost all new models, the Qashqai is longer, wider and taller than its predecessor.

Pretty much everything. The Japanese manufacturerhas updated the Qashqai formula with sharper styling and a much more modern infotainment system.

Like the generations before it, this Qashqai was styled by Nissan’s London studio, developed at its Cranfield Technical Centre and gets assembledin its Sunderland factory. It is slightly larger than before, being 35-mm longer, 32-mm wider and 25-mm taller, while its wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels) is 20-mm longer.

This new Qashqai rides on the Common Module Family (CMF) C-platform, which is shared with Mitsubishi and Renault. It allows for a range of electrified powertrains – none of which (according to Nissan SA) are heading to South Africa, at least for now.

The platform is claimedto featuremore lightweight materials and utilise advanced stamping and welding techniques in its construction to increase body rigidityand reduce kerb weight. The bonnet, front fenders and doors are made from aluminium and are 21-kg lighter, while the tailgate is made from composite, which saves 2.3 kg.

To improvevisibility, Nissan engineered thinner A-pillars and mountedthe wing mirrors on the doors instead of the A-pillars. Elsewhere, rear knee room has grown by 28 mm to 608 mm, while headroom has been increased by 15 mm. The load bayis a significant 74-litres bigger due to the lower load floor and the redesigned rear-suspension configuration.

Exterior

Quite a vast update for this Qashqai as modern family SUVs push the styling boundaries.

The new Qashqai sports a considerably more bold and chiselled appearance than the previous iteration, but it remains unmistakably identifiable as a (bang-up-to-date) Nissan.

Up front, it features a completely redesigned front end emblazoned with the now-familiar V-Motion grille along with full LED matrix headlights and signature boomerang-shaped daytime running lights. Deep creases along the full waistline of the car and lower down on the doors enhance the styling improvements.

It arguably still looks conservative next to the new Hyundai Tucson, but may steal admiring glances from drivers of other rival family cars, including the now-ageing KiaSportage and BMW X1.

Interior

Plenty of soft-touch surfaces within the cabin, something you don’t get much of in this segment.

The previous-generation Qashqai was on sale for 7years, but duringthat time, its interior design had become quite dated. The touchscreen was one of the most noticeably outdated aspects, as it was small and had rather basic graphics.In line with current trends, the new touchscreen now sits proud of the dashboard. It’s bigger and is complementedby a fully digital instrument cluster on most models.

There are extra soft-touch materials on show and double-stitching, which givethe Qashqai a welcome uplift in quality. Granted, you won’t feel like you’re in an Audi or a BMW when behind the Nissan’s ‘wheel, but the freshness of the more upmarket interior will certainlyimpress current Qashqai drivers.

The infotainment touchscreen is not only bigger, but where it’s located – atop the dashboard – is likely to be closer to the driver’s eye line. It’s arguably a safety feature, because it means your eyes are away from the road for less time, while information can also be displayed on the digital dial cluster and, on top-spec Tekna versions, a large head-up display in the windscreen.

Fortunately, Nissan has chosen to keep physical dials and buttons for the climate control panel, rather than burying the climate settings in the touchscreen menu. You’ll find that physical controls are much easier and more intuitive to use while you’re driving. In fact, proper buttons still have theirplace throughout the Qashqai’s cabin. It’s good to know that common sense is becoming more, um, common.

Nissan’s infotainment systems were lagging behind, the new system brings it up-to-date.

The latest Qashqai has a longer wheelbase, which has improved the space in the rear (20 mm more knee room, 28 mm more shoulder room and 15 mm more headroom), all of which makes it feel spacious atthe back. What’s more, the new car has doors that open wider than its predecessor.That makes it easier to install bulky child seats and for children (and granny) to get in and out.

Inside, there are more storage spaces, so you’ll find plenty of places to stash your odds and ends. Meanwhile, the front cup holders have been relocated so you’re less likely to knock over your drink when changing gear.

The Qashqai offered plenty of luggagespace when it was launched, but the previous generation model was soon overtaken by more practical rivals. A re-jigged rear suspension design has resulted in a bigger load bay with a lower floor than before. Compared with its predecessor, this model offers an additional 74 litres of space (with the rear seats in place)for a claimed capacity of 504 litres.

The load floor is reversible and can be raised or lowered, depending on what you need. Raising the floor allows you to have a completely flat surfacewhen the rear seats are folded. Doing so frees up around 1 435 litres of utility space, which is more than useful!

Trim grades

No details were forthcoming from Nissan South Africa regarding the intended trim grades for the new Qashqai when it arrives in early 2022, but there is little reason to believe that the manufacture willdepart from the existing local range of Acenta, Acenta Plus and top-spec Tekna derivatives.

It may be that 1or 2special editions of the new Qashqai could make their way to Mzansi along the lines of the outgoing Midnight Edition, but that remains to be seen.

Powerplants and drivetrains

Nissan SA is going to have to make a brave decision to either use old engines or source them from within the Renault group.

Here in the UK, the 1.5-litre dCi diesel has been discontinued for the new Qashqai and the entireline-up utilises a tried-and-tested 1.3-litre turbopetrol unit (now equipped with fuel-saving 12V mild-hybrid technology), offered in 104-kW and 119-kW states of tune.

The Nissan Qashqai e-Power hybrid is due to be launched in Britain in 2022. It’ll use a 1.5-litre petrol engine as a generator to charge the battery and an electric motor to assist with powering the driven wheels. Combined, the pair of power sources produce 140 kW, so we’d expect the hybrid to offer the fastest acceleration in the range. Regenerative braking, like you get in a Nissan Leafelectric vehicle, will mean you’ll be able to drive the car using just the accelerator– the Qashqai will slow down as soon as you take your foot off the rightmost pedal.

However, Nissan South Africa did confirm that it will not be offering the 12V mild-hybrid unit to South African buyers. Indeed, other than that confirmation, no further information was made available when requested regarding petrol or diesel engines and accompanying drivetrains for the new Qashqai.

The 1.2-litre petrol engine currently available with the outgoing South African Qashqai is ageing somewhat, so perhaps – and this is, of course, mere speculation – either a non-hybrid variant of the 1.3-litre engine or the all-new 1.5-litre e-Power Hybrid could make its way to South Africa to replace it.

As is the norm with new car launches, we’ll just have to wait and see what information is contained when Nissan South Africa eventually makes it available closer to the time of order books opening.

On the road

The ride comfort remains the major strength of the Qashqai.

Compact family cars aren’t designed to be the best-handling cars on the road and the Qashqai’s popularity shows that handling is quite a way down the list of priorities for many buyers.

However, the new model is significantly better to drive. Clearly, Nissan has favoured smoothness and stability over driver involvement, which for a family-centric car isn’t at all surprising. Admittedly, there’s little steering feel and the manual ‘box could be a tad more precise, but refinement is truly exceptional. Furthermore, a 60-kg weight reduction helps the new Qashqai feel a little more agile than before.

Front-wheel-drive derivativesget a standard rear suspension setup and, for the majority of the time, the car rides supremely well. It’s never uncomfortable over crusty surfaces and remains composed even when I tried (very hard, I might add) to get it unsettled over Millbrook’s “alpine route”.

Safety

While the new Qashqai’ssafety rating hasn’t yet been confirmed by the crash-test experts at Euro NCAP, it would be surprising if Nissan’s newcomerscores anything other than the full 5stars. Why? Because Nissan has fitted a comprehensive array of safety features as standard, the likes of which you’d often be expected to pay for by other manufacturers – well, on UK models anyway.

There are systems that monitor your blind spots, check that the driver is awake and alert, and scan for any traffic crossing your path behind you. The auto emergency braking function includes junction-assist and pedestrian- and cyclist detection, while the high beams are automatically activated and the lane-keeping system prevents you from leaving your lane accidentally. That’s on top of all the features that are now obligatory, such as ABSwith ESC, ISOFIX child seat points and a full suite of front, side and curtain airbags.

While we have seen a few South African manufacturers take a somewhat, well, thrifty approach to the safety and well-being of passengers within their cars, Nissan SA is not one of them. Buyers should expect much of the above technology to accompany their new Qashqai when it goes on sale later this year.

Summary

In a busy segment, Qashqai will hope to gain back some of its market share with this new model.

Nissan will hope that this latest Qashqai continues the global success of its predecessors and there is little reason to suppose that it won’t. The manufacturer has updated its phenomenally successful formula with sharper styling, a much more modern infotainment system and a ride quality so refined it arguably belongs in a higher (and more expensive) class of car.

Yes, the new, 3rd-generation Qashqai is the best it’s ever been. Okay, so the Peugeot 2008 is funkier inside, but what matters most is that the millions of people who love the Qashqai will love this one even more.Besides, I am most grateful to Nissan for keeping the Qashqai around long enough so that I can finally spell its name correctly on the first attempt…