The Euro-spec Qashqai gives a preview of Nissan's innovative gas-electric drive system, coming to the U.S. soon.
Nissan's hybrid strategy in the U.S. bounces between nonexistent and half-hearted. There have been a couple of feeble attempts to introduce versions for key models such as the Rogue or Altima over the years, but they never stuck.
A better way forward is coming later in 2026 when Nissan will launch its e-Power hybrid system here in the U.S. for the first time.The first car it's coming to is naturally the Rogue, Nissan's best-selling model in a class already proven to be hybrid happy. The e-Power isn't new to Nissan in general, having been introduced in 2016 in Japan and in Europe more recently. But now Nissans in the U.S. will be getting it too. We got to skip the early years and are instead jumping in right as Nissan launches the much-improved third generation. Nissan was so eager to give an early preview of the e-Power system that it brought some European-spec Qashqais to the U.S. for us to try ahead of experiencing a similar powertrain in the Rogue later this year. The fundamentals are similar to Honda's two-motor hybrid powertrain, as seen in both the Civic Hybrid and the Prelude, using an internal-combustion engine to act as a generator, both charging a battery and supplying current to an electric drive motor. In essence, it's a gas-powered car without a conventional transmission, with the principal being pretty much the same as a diesel-electric railroad locomotive.The idea is to deliver a smooth and seamless driving experience reminiscent of an EV. Nissan says it has engineered the third-gen system to be competitive here in the U.S. with a significantly more potent setup, although the European-market version already has up to 203 hp. The Qashqai has a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-three under the hood. Nissan engineered it specifically for use in the hybrid system, fitting a unique turbocharger, integrating the STARC efficiency-boosting combustion-chamber design, and deleting the variable-compression system seen in the turbo 1.5-liter on the non-hybrid Rogue. Detailing STARC would require a dedicated explainer, but the result is an increase of thermal efficiency by way of stabilizing in-cylinder combustion. Dropping the variable-compression mechanism was a no-brainer since the engine can be run at whatever the most efficient rpms are to generate power for the battery. And if you're wondering why Nissan went with a turbo instead of following Honda and its naturally aspirated strategy, Nissan powertrain engineer Kurt Rosolowski tells me it's because the turbo offers much greater efficiency during highway driving, something Americans do a lot of.The engine turns what is essentially a starter-generator that's powerful enough to charge the 400-volt 2.1-kWh battery pack and keep the electric motor spinning at full power. In the Qashqai, peak output sits at 202 hp, although this number will likely be slightly different when the Rogue e-Power launches here, as it will come with available all-wheel drive. Nissan engineers say the AWD Rogue will use a second electric motor to power the rear wheels, giving the car a more balanced feel, but with system peak power still fundamentally limited by what the three-cylinder and battery can produce together. The Qashqai e-Power drove just how I expected it to on familiar Michigan roads. The relationship between engine speed and road speed is a shifting one, since the three-pot is acting as a generator rather than providing direct drive. But when I floored the accelerator, the little turbo motor growled away, pegging its revs in an effort to keep up with throttle input. The Honda system makes a real effort to try and match what you hear from the engine with acceleration, while the Nissan is happy just to keep the engine at whatever speed it needs to do the job. Thankfully, the triple was never obnoxiously loud or intrusive in the Qashqai's cabin. It being muffled by the turbo certainly helps compared with the Honda, as engine noise at any speed is relatively muted and distant.Acceleration off the line was a little disappointing. The Qashqai slowly pulls away from lights without the instant urge of an EV, but by the time it got to between 15 and 20 mph, the full force of its electric motor was happy to play. This could just be tuning-related, so we will need to wait to drive the U.S.-spec Rogue e-Power before declaring it dull. From a roll, the Qashqai e-Power was plenty quick, with acceleration comparable to something like a CR-V Hybrid. I noticed the engine whir up on occasion when driving gently, seemingly off in its own world as the electric motor smoothly does its thing—and presumably charging the battery. There's an electric mode too, although this is little more than nominal given the small capacity of the pack, and the engine will fire the moment the driver asks for more than city speeds. But the noise of the engine all but disappears on the highway, as Nissan says it spent particular effort ensuring the revs stay low at highway speeds. Predictably, the e-Power system is at its least efficient when subjected to long highway hauls, which is why Honda's hybrid actually switches to a direct mechanical connection from the engine to the wheels during steady-state cruising. Nissan acknowledges that but notes its system has its own advantages. The turbocharged engine lets you efficiently run the car at low rpm, while not having a direct mechanical connection saves weight and presumably also engineering cost. Simplicity and the combination of disparate systems in general were goals for this third-gen e-Power system, as Nissan touts a new five-in-one modular hybrid system that combines the electric motor, generator, inverter, reducer, and increaser. This helps reduce the number of separate parts, brings packaging advantages, and lowers weight.Nissan doesn't have any mpg estimates to share for its upcoming Rogue, but the Qashqai was averaging right around 40 mpg in the trip computer when cruising at 75 mph for about 20 miles. Stop-and-go city driving returned up to and slightly above 44 mpg. Expect both those real-world data points to be lower in the Rogue due to it being bigger and heavier—plus, the AWD version should take another hit since it has to power a second electric motor. That would put it in the same range as the CR-V Hybrid, which returns 37 mpg combined, but less than the RAV4 Hybrid's 42 mpg combined. So long as it lands somewhere in that range, there should be significant savings over the gas-only Rogue.Outside of the engine, the other way this e-Power system recharges the battery is through regenerative braking. Hopefully, Nissan smooths things out a bit for the Rogue's application, as the pedal got a little grabby through the regenerative-to-mechanical blend, nor was it linear in response. You can get away with not touching the brake pedal itself down to about 7–10 mph by pressing the e-Pedal button, but Nissan does not offer a true one-pedal mode with e-Power.Just for those curious about the Qashqai driving experience, know that it's simply a Rogue Sport, a car Nissan discontinued in the U.S. in 2022 and has since redesigned with tech galore and nicer interior trimmings. There isn't much to miss, as its steering and chassis heavily favor comfort over any amount of handling capability. If there are any e-Power musings to be made, it's that there is never enough power on tap to induce torque steer or spin the front tires up. Throttle response is also on the lazy side, so you won't enjoy any of the immediate response that EVs and their motors provide either.The big takeaway here is that Nissan will finally have a truly competent and efficient hybrid system for its most popular vehicle. It's not a buzzy continuously-variable-automatic penalty box, and the around-town slog is quiet and seamless. So long as the price premium can quickly offset fuel costs and the efficiency is near where this first experience has me estimating it will be, opting for the e-Power will make a whole lot of sense.
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