Nissan Qashqai Review

• Typical used price (UK): £16,000–£28,000 (2021–2025 cars; higher trims and nearly-new at the top)
• This car: £23,599 (FV75ABX, HPL Motors Oldham)
• Insurance group: 24P
• MPG: 44.8 (official combined)
• CO₂: 143 g/km
• Best for: Families wanting a spacious, superbly equipped and easy-going SUV; nearly-new buyers

Is It a Good Choice?

For a no-nonsense family SUV, the Nissan Qashqai is one of the most sensible used buys you can make. It's the car that popularised the whole crossover idea, and this latest version is comfortable, spacious, easy to drive and built in Britain, at Nissan's Sunderland plant. It does the family-car basics brilliantly, which is exactly why it sells in such numbers.

This example is the Tekna, a high-spec trim, and it's loaded: dual 12.3-inch screens, wireless Apple CarPlay, a 360-degree camera, a panoramic glass roof and heated seats, among much else. It uses the 1.3-litre mild-hybrid petrol with an automatic gearbox. As a nearly-new 2025 car with one owner and low mileage, at £23,599 it represents a lot of well-equipped, in-demand SUV for a good saving on its new price.

Pricing & Running Costs

This generation of Qashqai launched in 2021, so used examples range from early cars to nearly-new. Strong demand keeps values firm, which is good for resale but means it holds its money well.

Typical UK Used Price Ranges:

• Early cars (2021–2022): roughly £16,000–£21,000
• Later cars (2023–2025): roughly £20,000–£28,000
• Higher trims and nearly-new cars: toward the top of that range

At £23,599 this nearly-new 2025 Tekna is priced well for its age, mileage and generous specification, with a good chunk of the new-car depreciation already absorbed (a new one in this trim is around £34,000).

Running Costs:

• Fuel: an official 44.8mpg, with a realistic high-30s to low-40s in everyday driving (see below).
• Insurance: group 24P — mid-range for a well-equipped family SUV.
• Road tax: the standard flat annual rate of VED (check the current DVLA figure).
• Servicing: Nissan servicing is competitively priced; on the automatic, a CVT fluid change at the recommended intervals is worthwhile.
• Clean air: Euro 6 means it's exempt from ULEZ and Clean Air Zone charges.

Performance & Driving Experience

This car uses Nissan's 1.3-litre turbo petrol with 158ps and a 12V mild-hybrid system, driving through an Xtronic automatic. It's worth being clear on the "hybrid" badge: this is a mild hybrid, where a small electric motor assists the engine and smooths the stop-start, but it can't drive the car on electric power alone. (That's different from the Qashqai e-Power, a separate version that drives more like an electric car.) Performance is perfectly adequate, with 0–62mph taking 9.2 seconds.

On the road the Qashqai is comfortable, quiet and easy, which suits its family-car brief well, though it's not as fun to drive as a Ford Puma or Kuga. The one thing to note is the Xtronic gearbox: it's a CVT, which keeps things smooth in normal driving but sends the revs soaring when you accelerate hard, creating a drone until you ease off. Driven gently, it's relaxed and refined.

Key Performance Figures:

• Power: 156 bhp (158 ps)
• Cylinders: 4 (petrol, 12V mild hybrid)
• Engine capacity: 1,332 cc (turbocharged)
• Gearbox: automatic (Xtronic CVT)
• Drive: front-wheel drive
• 0–62 mph: 9.2 seconds

Interior & Technology

The Tekna's cabin is genuinely impressive and feels a step more upmarket than Qashqais of old. This car has two 12.3-inch screens, one for the central NissanConnect touchscreen with sat nav and one as a digital driver's display, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Google built-in services, a wireless charging pad and in-car WiFi. It's superbly equipped, with a 360-degree parking camera, a panoramic glass roof, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and dual-zone climate control all included.

Material quality is solid and the layout is clear and easy to use, with physical shortcuts alongside the touchscreen. It's a comfortable, well-made and thoroughly modern place to sit, and the big glass roof makes it feel especially light and airy.

Space & Practicality

Space is a core Qashqai strength. There's generous room front and rear, with enough space for adults to stretch out in the back, and a 504-litre boot that handles buggies, luggage and the weekly shop with ease. It's worth noting that some rivals go further, with the Kia Sportage and VW Tiguan offering notably bigger boots, but the Qashqai remains very practical and easy to live with, and the rear seats fold to free up more room when needed.

Dimensions:

• Length: 4,425 mm
• Width: 1,835 mm
• Height: 1,625 mm
• Boot: 504 litres
• Seats / doors: 5 / 5

MPG, Emissions & Tax

• Combined MPG: 44.8 (official)
• CO₂: 143 g/km
• Euro status: Euro 6
• Fuel type: petrol (12V mild hybrid)
• Engine: 1,332cc, 4-cylinder turbo
• Gearbox: automatic (Xtronic CVT)

Euro 6 compliance means it's exempt from London's ULEZ and other Clean Air Zone charges. On economy, it's worth setting expectations honestly: the official figure is 44.8mpg, but most owners of the mild-hybrid automatic see somewhere in the high-30s to low-40s, as the mild-hybrid system helps only modestly. If low running costs are the priority, the Qashqai e-Power (a different, more electric-feeling version) and some full-hybrid rivals are more economical. Road tax is charged at the standard flat annual rate, so check the DVLA's current figure.

Safety & Reliability

Safety is a strong suit. The Qashqai earned a full five-star Euro NCAP rating when it was tested in 2021, with outstanding scores, and this Tekna is packed with driver-assistance kit including autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot intervention, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree camera. It's worth noting that a 2025 re-test under Euro NCAP's much tougher current protocols produced a four-star result; that reflects how demanding the tests have become rather than any change to the car itself.

NCAP Ratings (Euro NCAP, 2021):

• Overall: 5 Stars
• Adult occupant: 91%
• Child occupant: 91%
• Vulnerable road users: 70%
• Safety assist: 95%
• Note: figures are from the original 2021 test; a 2025 re-test under stricter protocols produced a 4-star result

On reliability, the Qashqai has a good record. It's a well-proven design built in the UK, and it performs solidly in owner-satisfaction surveys, with Japanese engineering behind it. The main thing to be aware of on the automatic is the CVT gearbox, which is dependable when looked after but benefits from its fluid being changed at the recommended intervals, so it's worth checking that in the service history. As a nearly-new 2025 car with one owner and low mileage, this example should also still have the balance of Nissan's manufacturer warranty, which is worth confirming, and HPL adds its 128-point check and a warranty of its own.

Alternatives

• Kia Sportage — a close rival with a bigger boot and Kia's long transferable warranty.
• Hyundai Tucson — spacious and well-equipped, with hybrid and plug-in options.
• Ford Kuga — the keener driver's choice, and roomy with it.
• Vauxhall Grandland — smart and widely available, with keen used pricing.
• Skoda Karoq — a practical, sensible VW Group alternative that's easy to live with.
• Toyota C-HR — the full-hybrid choice, for lower running costs and Toyota reliability.

Verdict

The Nissan Qashqai is a deservedly popular family SUV: spacious, comfortable, superbly equipped in this Tekna trim and easy to live with every day. As a nearly-new, one-owner 2025 car at £23,599, it's a lot of modern, in-demand SUV for the money, with much of its depreciation already behind it. The things to weigh up are its only-average real-world economy for a hybrid-badged car, the CVT gearbox's drone under hard acceleration, and the fact that it's more comfortable than it is fun to drive. But for a well-rounded, well-made and well-equipped family SUV, it's an easy one to recommend.

Overall Rating: ⭐ 4.2 / 5