Second from top ST-L grade Qashqai’s might be the sweet spot of the new-gen small-SUV range, because you get a lot of kit for your money.
Priced from $42,190, before on-road costs, the ST-L is a not insignificant $7500 more expensive than the grade it replaces. Once again, that comes with a much bigger suite of standard equipment.
And that includes a heated leather steering wheel, power adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, wireless charging, adaptive LED headlights, tinted windows, roof rails, dual-zone automatic climate control, and 19-inch alloys.
Until the 2023 launch of Nissan’s 'ePower' hybrid, the Qashqai range is powered by a new 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engine - found in a couple of Renault SUV models - pumping out a decent 110kW/250Nm, matching the Skoda Kamiq. It’s front-wheel drive and uses a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
There’s a lot more safety gear, too, including auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection, rear AEB with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise, rear cross-traffic alert, a front centre airbag, lane departure warning, and a blind-spot warning. The ST-L also introduces the 'ProPilot' system that combines adaptive cruise control with steering and lane keep assist tech for semi-autonomous driving.