Official: Nissan Qashqai gets a face with Google (2024)

Nissan sold more than 9,000 cars in our country last year, and more than 4,500 customers chose Qashqai. It makes sense, because the crossover (why Nissan doesn’t just call this an SUV continues to amaze us) offers the best. package for families and professional riders; It is spacious, comfortable, functional and well equipped. After her first face lift, she is now also very connected and gets a lot more face. And we still remain a little hungry.

Scales of Japanese weapons

Let’s start with the most surprising evolution and that is the front of the Qashqai. The grille is heavily updated and immediately catches the eye. We previously saw a bit of Hyundai Tucson inspiration in it, but on closer inspection the new Qashqai grille is quite unique. We don’t want to be in the habit of questioning the text of journalists, but the information that Nissan provides is not correct: “The new grille is inspired by the design of the old Japanese armor scales and now has a large number of high gloss, three-dimensional comma elements. -a shape in black that appears to be floating in the sky. Along the middle part, a ‘coma’ forms a triangle from the new lights downwards.”

It is interesting that the bottom line of the double daytime running lights includes five small lenses, which are actually a repetition of the comma on the radiator grille. Well thought out! There are also regular changes to the bumper and aprons, and we must say that the whole thing is very successful. Qashqai has now really got a ‘face’.

Invisible

With the new face we immediately addressed one of the two most important reforms. The second notable news is the new media and software that Qashqai is equipped with. Through the central touchscreen you’ll discover a variety of new options that ensure that connectivity and experience are once again up to date. Almost all functionality will be updated. We highlight a few notable ones, such as the 3D/360° camera with bird’s eye view, T-junction functionality and the ‘invisible bonnet’ function. The camera will provide images of the ground so you can follow exactly what is happening under the car. We can’t immediately imagine where this gimmick might be useful, but it’s cool.

“Hey Google”

The most interesting and, above all, the most important is the Google Assistant. The updated Qashqai is the first car in Nissan’s European range to feature such equipment. Of course, you have your own Google account, which provides many additional functions. This gives you access to your favorite places and places of interest and thanks to wireless updates, map information is always up-to-date.

Need help on the go? Then you simply shout “Hey Google” to, for example, operate the ventilation system or seat heating or navigate to the next destination. More interesting is the access to the ecosystem of apps that you can download from Google Play. This gives you easy access to Spotify, Deezer or other streaming services. Fortunately, Nissan pays for all the data you use for the first 5 years, after which you have to pay yourself.

These days, of course, the app cannot be missed where Nissan Connected Services keeps track of things. The app will remind you if the car is unlocked or the windows are still open. And of course you can lock the car with a simple push of a button.

Something else new?

Well, not really. And that is why we remain a little hungry. After major work on the front, it looks as if the push for the rear was over. Yes, there are also visible changes at the back and the light signature has been changed, but in our opinion it could be a little more. And of course the interior was also well modified (with the new equipment level ‘N-Design’, and finished with Alcantara), but here too we would not say no to a little more innovation.

The same applies to the technical aspects of the Qashqai, because they remain the same. The 1.3 Mild Hybrid is still there and there is still the 1.5 e-Power special. Of these, 100,000 units have already been sold and we understand why. With e-Power you drive on electricity all the time and the electricity for the electric drive is supplied by the petrol engine, which acts as a generator. But, dear Nissan engineers, why not make the tiny 1.8 kWh battery a little bigger for zero-emission urban driving?

Conclusion

Nissan clearly didn’t want to take too many risks with the face of their success model, and you can’t blame them. Qashqai is still very popular and thanks to the new successful integration of the face and tips-on, the second part of its work also promises to provide an important bonus for the brand. And yet little reform seems to be a missed opportunity in several areas. The new Qashqai is expected in showrooms by summer.