Nissan Qashqai 4×4 test (2021): the mountain crossover

It is a paradox: while it popularized from 2007 the idea of ​​an exclusively road raised model, which is more sold in two-wheel drive, the Nissan Qashqai persists in offering a real all-wheel drive in its range. This feat is all the more notable given that the new generation launched in 2021 does not include diesel and that its future simple hybrid e-Power version will also be exclusively available in traction.

The approach seems almost exotic in this era of CO hunting₂, especially as the manufacturer pushes the vice in France to offer this transmission only with the Xtronic continuously variable transmission. This indeed has the great merit, unlike the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox used by cousin Renault, of being able to drive an additional transmission shaft. The torque distribution between the two axles is ensured by a viscocoupler whose operating logic is modified according to the driving modes. We will come back to that. Thanks to the Qashqai 4×4, Nissan France intends to maintain its positions in the Grand Est and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions, which absorbed 50% of the four-wheel drive versions of previous generations.

Nissan Qashqai 4×4 price

We cannot say that all-wheel drive makes the Qashqai range much more complex, which does not stand out for the number of its variants with only two engines available based on the 1.3 petrol shared with Renault. Logically, it is only offered with the more powerful of the two, strong at 158 ​​hp and, as we have said, with the Xtronic gearbox. Compared to the two-wheel drive X-Tronic 158 hp, the additional cost is € 1,900. A figure that would not be complete without adding the inevitable additional penalty to consider. The CO emissions differential₂ is located between 11 and 12 g / km depending on the finish, or between € 892 and € 1,026 more in Tekna + finish depending on the equipment chosen. An amount certainly not insignificant, but the total penalty between € 1,172 and € 1,386 ultimately appears to be quite limited for a model that seems to light all the wicks of anti-CO retribution.₂ : SUV, gasoline, automatic gearbox and 4×4 transmission. This allows Nissan to keep its hybrid Japanese competitors at bay, which remain much more expensive despite their neutral penalty.

Resolutely positioned at the top of the range, the Qashqai 4×4 is only offered in three finishes from the N-Connecta, displayed from € 39,090. According to Nissan, the vast majority of this version was already sold in the highest Tekna version. No notable difference in equipment is to be reported between the two and four-wheel drive, apart from the mode selector. The N-Connecta definition is already very well equipped with navigation, 360 ° camera and digital instrumentation, but it is of course the Tekna + of our test which plays the superlative equipment with as standard the leather upholstery, the panoramic sunroof, electric and massaging seats, as well as the Bose audio system.

Driving

The Qashqai 4×4 is not intended to trudge on side roads. It remains above all a road car, intended to provide additional traction on slippery roads. An aptitude modulated by the mode selector, offering the Standard, Eco, Sport, Snow and Off-Road programs. They have an influence on the management of the CVT and, in Snow and Off-Road mode, on the distribution of torque between the two trains. In standard Eco and Sport modes, the Qashqai remains a simple traction: it is only in the event of loss of grip of a wheel that torque is sent to the rear axle, the manufacturer announcing a reaction time of 0 , 2 s. In the dry, the difference in behavior with the two-wheel drive version is minimal. Thus, even with strong acceleration, torque effects are still clearly noticeable in the steering wheel, including in Sport mode.

If the level of grip offered by the new Qashqai is excellent, there is no question of expecting a sporty temperament from it. Although it simulates the ratios relatively convincingly, the CVT transmission also quickly loses its means in fast driving, where it always seems to react with delay. Finally, the direction is singularly lacking in feeling, limiting the ardor of the driver. In short, it is only on ice, on snow or on very dusty roads that the benefit of the transmission will be felt.

From then on, we moderate the rhythm and we appreciate one of the major qualities of Qashqai: its remarkable suspension comfort, even when fitted with 20-inch rims. This goes well with the silence of the 1.3 petrol engine, which emphasizes its legendary smoothness of operation. On the other hand, the CVT transmission manages to undermine its sobriety recognized on other models. Certainly, at a very stabilized rate, it is possible to go under 7 l / 100 km, but the slightest acceleration makes the average jump. On a fifty-kilometer expressway course at around 100 km / h with some acceleration when exiting work areas, the on-board computer displayed 9 l / 100 km on arrival. It’s a lot.

On board

Nissan Qashqai 4×4 competition

Compact SUVs with 150 hp gasoline engines and all-wheel drive are not exactly legion. On the Volkswagen Tiguan, four-wheel drive is reserved for diesel, while the Seat Ateca offers them only on its top of the range 190 hp. The Peugeot 3008 is powered by its rear wheels only on the plug-in Hybrid4, while the Renault Kadjar at the end of its career is powered by its front wheels only. The research is equally futile on the side of Jeep, whose Compass offers four-wheel drive only on the 4xe plug-in hybrid.

Caramba, it is still missed on the side of the most direct Japanese rivals: the Honda CR-V only exists in hybrid, and the 4WD version only remains in the high Exclusive finish at 46,760 €. The same goes for the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid AWDi, whose base price in Lounge is € 48,000. It is finally at Suzuki that we find a reasonable power 4×4 gasoline SUV, but it is 25 cm shorter and belongs to the lower category: it is the Vitara. The latter only has a hybrid starter-alternator, but it does offer four-wheel drive, 140 hp and an automatic transmission from € 28,590.

Find the test report, equipment prices and technical sheets on the next page.