An updated version of the Nissan Qashqai has gone on sale in Ireland, though the upgrades are far from extensive with just a few minor visual tweaks and a few changes to equipment levels across the model line-up.
The front, rear, wheel caps and steering wheel boss will now bear Nissan's slightly revised corporate badging while the rear bumper will change from light grey to a darker shade. A glass roof with roof rails is, after an absence, once again an option on SV Tech and SVE models, while LED front fog lights are now standard on the top-of-the-range SVE.
Tech upgrades
Inside, a new 12.3-inch infotainment screen - 3.3 inches bigger than those in less expensive models - will be standard on SV Premium models and above.
Enhancements have also been made to the suite of Nissan Connect Services with a digital owner's manual, in-car voice control, voice assistant (Amazon Alexa) and information on nearby parking spots.
Levels of safety equipment remain high, where emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist and junction recognition, forward collision warning, lane departure prevention and blind spot monitoring as standard on all models.
For Irish buyers, there's just one engine choice for the moment, which is that of a 1.3-litre mild-hybrid petrol unit developing 138hp (or 156hp when fitted with the CVT automatic gearbox or all-wheel-drive option) with fuel consumption of 6.3-7.0 litres/100km depending on the model and spec chosen.
Model pricing
Retail prices for the updated Nissan Qashqai start from €34,600 for a standard XE model with a six-speed manual gearbox.
In the middle of the range, SV models start from €37,300, the SV Premium from €40,300 and the SV Tech from €44,800. The addition of a CVT automatic gearbox adds €3,500 to the price tag of each version (except the XE on which it isn't an option).
The high-end SVE model, starting from €50,200 features the CVT gearbox as standard, and prices for a fully-loaded SVE with both the CVT gearbox and all-wheel drive (available from SV Premium models upwards) start from a hefty €56,100.