Skip advert
Advertisement

Nissan Qashqai - Interior, design and technology

Nissan has sharpened the Qashqai’s looks, with top-end versions featuring plenty of kit and the Google-based infotainment is first class

Interior, design and technology rating

3.9

How we review cars
RRP
£30,135 £42,980
Avg. savings
£5,771 off RRP*
Find your Nissan Qashqai
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

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.  

Advertisement - Article continues below

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. 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Nissan Qashqai prices now open at just over £30,000, and all cars 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. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

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.

What is the Nissan Qashqai like inside?

While the outside of the revised Nissan Qashqai got a more dramatic update, the revisions inside focus more on improving the perceived quality of the dashboard. To that end, N-Design trim and above come with Alcantara trimming on the seats and a large section of the dashboard in order to give the car a more up market feel.

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Whether your Qashqai comes covered in Alcantara or not, the dashboard design won’t set anyone's pulse racing, but it won’t tax their brain either. The layout is logical, and we approve that all the easy-to-use physical buttons and dials remain, including the ones for the air-conditioning, which is a big plus point in our book over rivals like the Ford Kuga, which has gone all in on touchscreens.

Opting for the N-Design trim gets you a large panoramic glass sunroof, letting in a huge amount of light into the interior to help brighten things up, which might be useful if you plan on tackling a number of long trips in your Qashqai.

What is the interior quality like? 

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.

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.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai

RRP £27,135Avg. savings £5,771 off RRP*Used from £13,632
Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen Tiguan

RRP £35,080Avg. savings £3,743 off RRP*Used from £25,098
Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

RRP £24,405Avg. savings £2,749 off RRP*Used from £12,695
Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall Corsa

RRP £18,505Avg. savings £4,317 off RRP*Used from £19,564
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Toyota MR2 is all but confirmed
Toyota MR2 design render (watermarked)

New Toyota MR2 is all but confirmed

Work is under way on a new petrol two-seater that will use the mid-engined powertrain from Toyota's Tokyo Auto Salon concept
News
22 Jan 2025
New Tesla Model Y facelift to hit the UK in March with exclusive £60k Launch Edition up first
Tesla Model Y facelift - front

New Tesla Model Y facelift to hit the UK in March with exclusive £60k Launch Edition up first

The Tesla Model Y will arrive as a single, high-spec dual-motor model at launch, with more variants to come soon after
News
24 Jan 2025
UK electric car charger roll-out being undermined by misguided strategy
Renault Zoe connected to a roadside EV charger

UK electric car charger roll-out being undermined by misguided strategy

Strategy labelled ‘biggest waste of taxpayers’ money ever’ as UK authorities race to install low-power pavement chargers
News
23 Jan 2025