Nissan Qashqai gets better handling thanks to new platform

Nissan is touting the improved refinement and handling in its latest Qashqai after switching the compact SUV to a new lighter platform and making greater use of lightweight materials such as aluminum.

The third generation of Nissan's best-selling European model was unveiled on Thursday ahead of deliveries starting in the next three months.

The Qashqai switches to hybrid only drivetrains after Nissan ditched diesel models.

The SUV launches with a 1.3-liter turbocharged gasoline drivetrain with a 12-volt mild-hybrid system. Nissan's e-Power full hybrid drivetrain will be offered next year.

The Qashqai is the first Renault-Nissan model in Europe to use the alliance's new CMF-C platform, Nissan said.

The platform is an upgraded version of the CMF-C/D architecture. It has double the amount of high-strength, hot-stamped steel to cut weight and increases stiffness, Nissan said.

The automaker did not give a percentage figure for the amount of hot-stamped steel used.

The Qashqai also further reduces weight by using aluminum for the hood, fenders, and doors, while the rear hatch is made of composite materials. Overall, the body-in-white including closures is 60 kg lighter than the outgoing model, Nissan said.

The lighter weight and stiffness resulting from the new platform give the new Qashqai the refinement, handling, and ride comfort of a car from a segment above, Nissan said.

"Our engineering team have achieved a ride and handling balance which places driving pleasure at the heart of the experience," said David Moss, Nissan's head of R&D for Europe.

The CMF-C platform debuted on the new Rogue midsize SUV sold in the U.S. and has subsequent been used for Nissan's Sylphy sedan sold in China.

The mild-hybrid Qashqai models will be available with power outputs of 138 hp and 158 hp, and customers can choose either two-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive. The SUV will be available with a manual transmission or, on the higher power model, a CVT automatic gearbox. The addition of the mild-hybrid technology adds 22kg, Nissan said.

The two-wheel-drive models will come with a torsion beam rear suspension, while the all-wheel-drive version and any two-wheel-drive models riding on the new 20-inch wheels will come with a more sophisticated multi-link rear set-up.

The e-Power model combines a 1.5-liter gasoline engine that directly charges an on-board battery in a 'series' set-up in which the engine does not directly power the wheels.

Most full hybrids available in Europe, for example Toyota's, are parallel hybrids in which the engine can directly power the wheels.

Nissan says the advantage of its system is that drivers can experience a more EV driving style with no lag in power delivery.

The new Qashqai was designed in Nissan's London studio and updates the look of the current model so that it is "more toned, sharp and modern" Nissan said in a statement. The front lights are now LEDs that allowed Nissan to make them slimmer.

The new platform allowed Nissan to make the Qashqai bigger. At 4425 mm, it's 35 mm longer than the current model. It's also 32 mm wider at 1838 mm and 25 mm taller at 1635mm. The trunk space has grown by 50 liters, Nissan said.

The car's advanced driving assist system that Nissan calls ProPilot keeps features such as adaptive cruise control but adds Navi-link, which increases the semi-autonomous functionality, including braking to stop in automatic models and lane-centering.

Navi-link also reads speed limit signs and can brake the car to react accordingly. The system can also adapt speed to the road layout as described in the car's satellite navigation. Navi-link is available as standard from mid-spec cars upward.

The Qashqai's unveiling comes almost eight years after Nissan first took the covers off the current model, which has subsequently lost its position at the top of the compact SUV charts as buyers migrated to newer models.

Last year, Qashqai sales fell 38 percent to 135,189 in Europe, according to JATO Dynamics market researchers.

The Volkswagen Tiguan was the top-selling compact SUV, with its volume down 34 percent to 173,627.