Nissan's critical new small SUV will arrive in New Zealand early next year.

FOUR variants of the new Nissan Qashqai are set to come on sale here next year – but the drawcard series-hybrid engine is going to be last to arrive.

In announcing detail – save for pricing and an exact launch date – of a model that is coming out of the United Kingdom, Nissan New Zealand has identified it will take the sharp-looking car from early in the year with a wide active safety suite as standard and a new turbocharged 1.3-litre engine, replacing the current line’s 2.0-litre.

Also set to implement is a petrol-electric ‘e Power’ unit that has made headlines internationally.

Nissan’s first foil to the popular hybrid drivetrains used by Toyota is a definite starter, yet it won’t be introduced here until late in 2022. Nissan NZ has not explained why a system it has been using in Japan domestic models since 2016 is taking so long, though it’s fair to also note that Qashqai is the first international model with e-Power.

With the NZ operation now effectively entirely subsumed into Nissan Australia, it will be no surprise that Kiwis will achieve our neighbour’s model selection, which spans from an entry ST to a flagship Ti.

All are equipped with auto LED headlights, an Apple CarPlay and Android Auto-equipped touchscreen, a digital instrument display, and a strong suite of active safety systems.

The impact of this third generation with the nameplate representing with a larger body, a new architecture increased standard equipment and the fresh powertrains could well colour the pricing strategy. Presently the most asked for a current model Qashqai is just short of $46,000.

Next year looks set to be a big one for Nissan; in addition to Qashqai it seems set to adopt the next generation of the Pathfinder sports utility, a new-generation X-Trail mid-size SUV – on a platform shared with the new Mitsubishi Outlander - and the latest Z sports car.

Qashqai’s launch engine creates 110kW and 250Nm – so, 4kW/50Nm more than the outgoing 2.0-litre. It's paired to a CVT automatic, driving the front wheels. An all-wheel drive option offered overseas isn't coming, nor is the 12-volt mild-hybrid system paired to the 1.3-litre engine in Europe.

The ‘e-Power’ unit, meantime, pairs a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and lithium-ion battery.

That much it has in common with a ‘parallel’ hybrid such as a Toyota RAV4 or C-HR. From thereon they differ. Whereas the Toyota set-up can drive using the petrol engine and/or electric motor, the Qashqai employs its engine solely as a generator to keep the battery topped up, which in turn provides energy to the electric motor to drive the front wheels.

The front axle-mounted electric motor powering the wheels develops 140kW, while the engine generating energy for it produces 115kW.

Fuel economy figures are yet to be confirmed, however expect a substantial improvement versus the 1.3-litre petrol-only Qashqai's claimed 6.1L/100km consumption claim.

Nissan says the E-Power system, which is likely to also go into the X-Trail, combines the instant response delivered only by an electric motor, without range anxiety or the need to plug in, as associated with an all-electric vehicle. It also includes one-pedal driving functionality. The video with this story reveals more.

While new to NZ, e-Power is well-entrenched, having debuted on the Japan-only Nissan Note in November of 2016. That model was Japan’s best-selling car in 2018. Nissan has subsequently released two other domestic market vehicles, the Kicks sports utility and the Serena minivan, with e-Power. Nissan achieved 500,000 e-Power vehicle sales at end of March this year.

“We call e-Power a best-of-both-worlds solution, offering a driver the key benefits of an EV drive experience without ever having to plug in,” says Nissan New Zealand managing director Ben Hamilton.

“Nissan prides itself on delivering intelligent mobility solutions in every vehicle, and nowhere is that more obvious than with this Nissan-exclusive solution.

“While a traditional hybrid adds battery power to an internal-combustion engine, e-Power delivers an EV-like driving experience, including exhilarating acceleration and near-silent operation, all while drastically reducing fuel use and emissions.

“We are looking forward to our customers experiencing this future-facing technology for themselves.”

Nissan is also talking up Qashqai’s dynamic side. It says with multi-link independent rear suspension is now standard across the range, and teamed with a quicker steering rack, a sharper, more connected driving experience can be expected.

The model is bigger in every key dimension over the second generation car, measuring 4425mm in length (a 31mm increase), 1625mm in height (plus 30mm), and 1835mm (plus 29mm) in width, while the wheelbase has grown to 2665mm (plus 19mm), all of which directly translates to more cabin space.

Qashqai has Nissan Intelligent Mobility safety features, including intelligent cruise control, forward emergency braking, predictive forward collision warning (PFCW) with pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection, rear AEB with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning and departure prevention, blind spot warning and blind spot intervention, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, driver attention alert and rear seat alert, as well as high beam assist, front and rear parking sensors, and a parking camera.

Every Qashqai is also equipped with a new central airbag, which deploys from between the two front seats, to prevent the front-row occupants from making contact in the event of a side-impact.

The base ST-Plus model that sits aboe the base ST differentiates by adopting LED fog lights, swaps from 17 to 18-inch alloy wheels and achieves auto wipers. The 9.0-inch touchscreen has navigation and Apple CarPlay integration is wireless. An Around-View Monitor (AVM) with Moving Object Detection is also added to the safety equipment.

The ST-L has 19-inch alloy wheels and adds adaptive driving beam headlights, along with privacy glass, roof rails and LED turn signals. It gets an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, the seats are leather-accented and heated in the front, the driver’s chair taking an eight-way power adjustment. It has wireless phone charging and dual-zone climate control.

The Ti adds a panoramic glass roof with electric sunshade, has a unique rear bumper finisher, a black headliner, ambient interior lighting and luggage boards.

Cabin comfort and technology features include a 10.8-inch colour head-up display, a 12.3-inch TFT, and a premium 10-speaker Bose audio system, while the seats are accented in stunning 3D quilted premium leather, and include memory and massage functions for front-seat passengers, and the tailgate is motion activated.

Safety equipment is further bolstered by Intelligent Park Assist, supported by the addition of side sensors.

While Nissan NZ has yet to say when first cars will arrive, it is taking orders from now on.