Nissan Qashqai facelift – now with ProPILOT tech

Nissan is very proud of its Qashqai, and why wouldn’t it? Since its debut in 2007 with the first-generation J10, followed by the second-gen J11, over 2.3 million units have been sold in Europe, and it is sold in 99 markets globally.

The time has now come for Qashqai to receive its facelift, and here it is, making its debut at the ongoing Geneva Motor Show. With revised styling, an updated chassis, new technologies, and other improvements, Nissan is looking to reinforce its best-selling crossover in the market.

On the exterior, the Qashqai’s revised front end features the latest iteration of Nissan’s V-motion grille, which is flanked by sharper-looking headlights with LED DRLs. These can be improved further with the optional adaptive front lighting system.

The new bumper also sees the addition of faux side intakes with front parking sensors housed within them, just above the reshaped fog lamps and black-painted lower apron. From the side, the Qashqai retains its familiar profile, and there are new alloy wheel designs to choose from, sized between 17 to 19 inches (variant dependant).

As for the rear, the Qashqai’s taillights now comes with a new graphics, where the “boomerang-shaped” motif is now extended across the whole lamp. It also comes with a 3D lens effect to make sure the signature shape is further enhanced for view. Further down, the new bumper gets two silver-painted sections, and the reflectors are pushed slightly upwards.

The car you see here sports one of two new exterior body colours offered by Nissan for the Qashqai dubbed Vivid Blue, with the other being Chestnut Bronze. Beneath the bodywork, the Qashqai also features improved suspension, damping, and steering systems to provide better on-road refinement.

The cabin now benefits from higher-quality materials, and high-end variants will receive new seats trimmed in Nappa leather with 3D quilting. Other improvements include a new D-shaped multi-function steering wheel with satin-chrome inserts and a new interface for the NissanConnect infotainment system.

For those who want a better audio experience, a seven-speaker Bose premium sound system can be specified with said system. Meanwhile, to further improve upon the refinement provided by the chassis revisions, the Qashqai’s interior also comes with more sound-absorbing materials and a thicker rear glass window.

In line with Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility vision, the crossover also gets the ProPILOT semi-autonomous drive system as well as other driver assist features. These include Intelligent Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Recognition, Rear Cross Traffic Alert (a first for the Qashqai), Traffic Sign Recognition, Driver Attention Alert, Intelligent Park Assist, Intelligent Around View Monitor, Blind Spot Warning, and Lane Departure Warning.

No changes in terms of powertrain, with a mix of petrol and diesel engines on offer. The former includes the 1.2 litre DIG-T 115 (115 PS/190 Nm) and 1.6 litre DIG-T (163 PS/240 Nm), while oil burners include the 1.5 litre dCi 110 (110 PS/260 Nm) and 1.6 litre dCi 130 (130 PS/320 Nm). The mills are paired to either a six-speed manual or Xtronic CVT, depending on variant, and All Mode 4×4 all-wheel drive is an option as well.