For a few model years, the Nissan Rogue had a smaller sidekick called Rogue Sport. The model wasn’t directly replaced in our market, but the European-market Qashqai it traced its roots to returned for a new generation in 2021 and has just received a round of updates.
Visually, the biggest changes are found up front. Nissan gave the Qashqai a new-look design that borrows styling cues from the electric Ariya crossover. Gone is the Juke-inspired look with the bright U-shaped grille; the face-lifted Qashqai receives a much wider grille that Nissan explains is inspired by ancient Japanese armor scales, and sharp-looking headlights positioned below thin LED daytime running lights. The changes made to the back end are largely limited to updated lights with four individual elements mounted under a clear lens.
The usual assortment of new alloy wheel designs (ranging from 18 to 20 inches) and additional paint colors rounds out the list of exterior updates. Five of the available exterior colors can be ordered with a contrasting black roof (pictured in our gallery) for a two-tone look.
While the interior’s basic layout stays largely unchanged, Nissan made several trim- and technology-related updates to the Qashqai. Some of the upper trim levels ship with Alcantara upholstery on the dashboard, door panels, and central armrest, for example, and there’s new plastic trim with a metal-like appearance on the center console. The surround-view camera system receives a 3D function, and there’s an invisible hood view function that shows the driver the position of the front wheels to facilitate the task of avoiding wheel-ruining curbs.
Nissan offers the 2024 Qashqai with two drivetrains. One is a mild-hybrid system that hasn’t been detailed yet and that will likely be offered in two states of tune. The second is an unusual hybrid system that consists of a turbocharged three-cylinder engine, an electric motor, and a 1.8-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The triple’s role is that of a generator: it creates electricity that gets sent to the motor, the battery pack, or both. The motor drives the wheels directly, so there’s no transmission and the Qashqai drives like an EV (complete with a one-pedal mode).
Pricing information for the updated Qashqai will be announced later in 2024, and the model will be built in Sunderland, England. Nothing suggests that the crossover will return to the United States as the second-generation Rogue Sport in the foreseeable future, however.
Read the full article here