Nissan Qashqai - Interior, design and technology

When the Mk3 Nissan Qashqai launched its exterior design wasn’t that far removed from the previous model but the 2024 facelift added a more distinctive front end that helps Nissan’s offering stand out next to more adventurously styled rivals like the Peugeot 3008 and the Toyota C-HR.

The bold look is based around a giant front grille with an unusual overlapping ‘comma’ pattern inspired by the scales on Japanese armour. The slim headlights and comma-shaped daytime running light units also add to the front end look, while Nissan’s design department is particularly pleased with the rear lighting clusters and claims that the Qashqai’s brake lights are extra red - we’ll let you be the judge on that.  

The changes inside the Qashqai included some nicer materials on higher spec cars and many new or enhanced tech features. The posher models now get a very large helping of Alcantara fabric (on N-Design cars) or soft leather (on Tekna models). These upmarket materials coat the dash, door inserts, and arm rests, and it really adds an air of quality - we’re just unsure how well the Alcantara will stand up to regular encounters with sticky-fingered kids. There’s also some very fetching metallic-effect plastic trim around the gear selector.

The Nissan Qashqai now features advanced Google-powered infotainment technology which we’ll look at in more detail below. Otherwise, the technology highlight could well be the Around View Monitor system, which generates an all-around view of the car when manoeuvring to help avoid shunts. There’s now a 3D function that renders an external image of the car and its surroundings from eight different angles, and an ‘invisible hood view’ - as seen on Land Rovers - which generates an on-screen image of what the wheels are doing beneath the bonnet. Nissan says it’s good for avoiding kerbs and positioning the car in car washes, but It all feels like overkill in a car like the Qashqai, even if it should save you from a few alloy wheel dings. Potentially more valuable is a T-junction view, which uses a camera on the Qashqai’s nose to help you check for coming traffic when pulling out of blind junctions. 

Nissan Qashqai prices now open at just over £30,000, and all cars all get the impressive 12.3” touchscreen. Base Acenta Premium models don’t have the Google-powered infotainment features, and make do with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while higher spec models offer wireless connections. They also miss out on all the body-coloured exterior trim, which spoils the look of the Qashqai to an extent. 

With this in mind, the £2,000 premium for an upgrade to N-Connecta trim feels worthwhile. You get the improved Around View Monitor system, ambient lighting and a wireless charging pad, among other things, but the exterior trim is only partially body-coloured. You’ll have to find another £2,500 for an N-Design if you want full body-colouring on the lower bumpers, and this also adds LED lights with 20-inch wheels. For the same price as the N-Design, Tekna models forgo some of the styling add-ons but get the full suite of ProPilot driver assistance tech, a head-up display, and a lot more besides. 

Tekna+ is the height of mid-size SUV luxury with quilted, massaging leather seats and a Bose stereo. Unfortunately, it’s £4k more than a Tekna, which feels a bit rich, in our opinion. N-Connecta is a good value, unless you really want to make a statement with the sharpened looks of the N-Design.

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Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

In the technology department, the big change is the addition of Google’s in-house infotainment technology. The Google Maps navigation functionality is first class (especially if you’re an Android user familiar with the interface), and all bar the base models get it along with the ability to sign-in to your car with your Google account - transferring favourite locations and other information in the process. There’s ‘hey Google’ voice assistant control, too, significantly reducing the need to connect your phone to the car. Unless, that is, you plump for the entry-level Qashqai models where Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are the only options.