Lexus NX vs Nissan Qashqai

What's the difference?

The Lexus NX450h+ F Sport is a gorgeous mid-size SUV that combines great specs and a fairly efficient plug-in hybrid powertrain. It’s a comfortable and easy ride which should appeal to a wide range of driving styles. It also looks good parked at the kerbside of a city street and with it ticking most of the boxes, it may become your new best friend.

Now e-Power-only, the 2026 Qashqai Ti-L range walks a fine line between mainstream value-for-money and premium European class, providing an attractive, enjoyable and comfortable small SUV experience that also doubles up as a capable and practical family car.

We’d probably ditch this grade for either the Ti below and save a bit of money in the process, or stretch a little more for the flagship N-Design, as both provide the peace of mind of a spare wheel.

Otherwise, for its economy, agility, luxury and smarts, the latest Qashqai Ti-L e-Power is a wildly underrated Nissan that deserves more love.

The NX simple looks like a scaled-down version of its larger RX cousin, so if you like that you’ll like what the NX.

It looks sweeter, though, with its smaller proportions being only 4660mm long and 1670mm high but there’s enough sharp pleating in the panelling and rear LED lights to give it a sporty edge. It’s a design that should appeal to a wide range of people.

The interior helps the NX compete against some of its flashier rivals, but the BMW X3's interior beats it hands down with the wow factor. Still, the dual-toned leather upholstery and fabrics of our test model scream understated luxury.

The perforated leather of the seats is supple underhand, but even the robust synthetic leather on the backs of the seats and some door panelling feels like the real stuff most of the time.

The dashboard components – like the air vents, displays and accents – are well integrated and seem well-built. The cockpit is intimate and plush overall, and it always reminds you that you're in the cabin of a luxury vehicle.

The third Qashqai since the original took Europe by storm as the Pulsar hatch replacement in late 2006, the British-designed, engineered and built crossover uses a global Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance transverse architecture.

As a result, achieving best-possible efficiency was a priority, with weight-saving, body-beefing aluminium deployed in the doors, bonnet and front guards.

Though an ageing design (launching in Europe back in 2021), a deft facelift in 2024 has kept the nicely proportioned and detailed design relatively fresh inside and out.

Size wise we’re in big small SUV territory, with the Qashqai measuring 4425mm, 1835mm, 1625mm and 2665mm in length, width, height and wheelbase respectively. This makes it quite a roomy little SUV inside.

In Australia, the expense of British sourcing places the Nissan in premium territory, so the series now kicks off from the mid-spec ST-L grade, bringing softer-touch materials, larger screens and more equipment as standard, raising the ambience somewhat.

The cabin of the NX is spacious where it needs to be for four adults to be comfortable on a longer journey, and features enough equipment to satisfy most.

Access is best at the front because of the wider door apertures and while still easy enough to get in and out of from the back, the rear wheel arch cuts into the aperture a bit.

The front seats are very comfortable with thick padding, tall side bolsters that lock you into place in a turn as well as heating and cooling functions.

The back seats are almost as comfortable as the front! However, the outboard seats offer the best under-thigh support. It is a shame that they miss out on heat functions for its grade level, though.

Storage is fairly good for the class, with lots of small item cubbies up front like a sunglasses holder, a mini drawer next to the drivers' knee and a dedicated phone holder and two cupholders. The large glove box (that can hold more than just a manual) and mid-size middle console shoulder most of the storage burden, though.

In the back you get a couple of map pockets, small storage bins and two cupholders. which is most than enough for this size of SUV.

The boot offers an impressive 520L of capacity and a level loading space makes it an easy car to slide larger gear in and out of. The little storage compartment under the floor is handy for charging cables and the hands-free powered tailgate is always handy to have.

The technology is a nice mix of easy-to-use and high-end with a responsive touchscreen on the 14-inch multimedia display. The system has built-in sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The CarPlay was simple to set up and has maintained a steady connection with my iPhone this week.

Charging options are decent with two USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket per row, as well as a wireless charging pad up front.

Now Nissan’s smallest model in Australia if you discount the delightful Z sports car, the Qashqai feels like an SUV from the next-class up in terms of front-seat comfort and space, with true room to move.

Now while it may be getting on a bit now, lacking the dominating, screen-heavy displays of newer rivals (especially those from China and Germany), the current model’s interior design and layout remains a masterclass in style, functionality, refinement and quality. This is also quieter than before.

In fact, the Qashqai is very difficult to fault from the (supportively cushy) driver’s seat.

All controls are within easy reach, revealing the crossover’s excellent ergonomics, backed up by good vision all round, and ably aided by the helpful new surround-view camera set-up.

The multi-configurable crystal-clear instrumentation and the joy of actual switchgear and buttons are further bonuses.

This isn’t to say that that the touchscreen doesn’t play a major role here, as most of the vehicle and all multimedia functions are accessed quickly via the electronic displays. It’s just that the balance between analogue and digital is considered and balanced.

Plenty of thought has also gone into storage, with wide door bins, a deep centre console and big glove box, along with the presence of a smartphone charging shelf, nearby USB ports and handy cupholders. And the same applies for the natty little gear selector – once the driver masters it.

The only real bugbears are that the air conditioning seemed faulty in our test car, refusing to cool the vehicle down unless the coldest setting was selected. This has also inflicted the brand’s other recent SUVs. Is there an electrical issue going on, Nissan?

Plus, over-the-shoulder vision is pretty poor – a corollary of the sloping roofline and small back windows.

Moving to the rear seat area, both the non-reclinable backrests and non-slidable cushions are adequately supportive as well as spacious enough for most people, though taller folk will notice the limited knee room.

The expected array of amenities is present too, including air vents, USB-C ports, overhead grab handles, reading lights and a centre armrest with cupholders. Note the panoramic roof’s ability to flood the rear with light should not be underestimated, especially as it also comes with a blockout blind.

Moving into the boot area, the price to pay for all that e-Power efficiency is a shallower floor compared to the old turbo-petrol version. The Ti-L offers between 452 litres and 1376L of VDA capacity depending on whether the 60/40 backrest is up or not.

But, and this can be a deal breaker for some buyers, there is no spare wheel, just a tyre-repair kit, which is totally inadequate, shockingly costly to replenish and will completely destroy your expensive tyre.

Our advice is to consider the N-Design that comes with one, or get your friendly Nissan dealer to stump up for an aftermarket space-saver spare and jack combination kit.

How can a new model be both cheaper and more expensive than before?

When you add a $6725 less-expensive e-Power grade to make going hybrid cheaper, but then drop the old 1.3-litre turbo-petrol option across the range, that’s how.

Nissan says dropping the turbo was to help it dodge the Federal Government's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) carbon pollution fines.

With the deletion of the old base ST petrol from $34,665 (all prices are before on-road costs), it’s now an $11,000 jump into Qashqai ST-L e-Power from $45,640. Which is new for 2026.

Other changes include a comprehensively improved hybrid powertrain offering more performance, less consumption and fewer emissions, a quieter interior, a better camera, extra advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) functionality and extended service intervals. More on those later on.

The ST-L includes dual-zone climate control, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 360-degree camera with under-bonnet view and better forward vision, a wireless charger, proximity key and a three-year connected app subscription, offering remote functionality, security alerts, location services and more.

On top of the $4000-extra Ti’s larger electronic instrumentation, powered driver’s seat, heated front seats, PVC/leather upholstery, ambient lighting, roof rails and 19-inch alloys, the more-luxurious Ti-L from $53,640 as tested gains quilted leather trim, massaging front seats, a head-up display, glass roof with sunshade, Bose audio upgrade and an inch-larger set of wheels. Another $500 adds the N-Design sports kit and blacked-out treatments, which really do look the part.

The Qashqai Ti-L delivers a lot of kit for the cash.

Small SUV alternatives swarm all over the Nissan, as it goes head-to-head with the Toyota C-HR, Subaru Crosstrek and Honda ZR-V hybrids, considered to be direct competitors.

There are also a litany of less-expensive rivals, including the Chery Tiggo 4, GWM Haval Jolion, Hyundai Kona, MG ZS and Toyota Corolla Cross hybrids.

It’s a good thing then that the Nissan has one or two unique traits that help make it stand out.

The NX450h+ F Sport is the first attempt at a plug-in hybrid powertrain for Lexus. It pairs a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors, one located at each end of the car for all-wheel drive. Together they produce up to 227kW of power, but Lexus doesn’t quote the combined torque figure (cheeky).

The flagship model can do a 0-100km/h sprint in 6.3 seconds and features a smooth continuously variable transmission.

Overall, it moves quickly and the shift between the electric and engine components is barely noticeable.

The biggest news for the 2026 Qashqai lays under the bonnet.

Being an e-Power, it still combines a 116kW/250Nm 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol-turbo engine.

Its job is to solely charge a 2.1kWh lithium-ion battery, with a 140kW/311Nm electric motor that alone drives the front wheels via a single-speed reduction-drive transmission.

But this plugless powertrain now features a 'five-in-one' hybrid set-up that integrates the electric motor, generator, inverter, increaser and reducer into a single and compact unit, helping to save weight and boost efficiency between components. There’s also a revised combustion set-up, ditching the old variable compression tech.

Up to a 0.7 litre per 100km average fuel-consumption drop, along with a 10 per cent power boost in Sport mode, are the headline improvements.

Combined outputs are rated at 140kW of power from 4900rpm to 5900rpm, or 151kW in Sport, while torque tops out at 311Nm from 0-3600rpm.

The numbers are much the same as before, but Nissan says this is a redesigned, third-generation e-Power system, and it debuts for Australia in the 2026-model Qashqai first.

Braked towing capacity remains at just 750kg.

The flagship NX has a smallish 18.1kWh lithium-ion battery and a Type 2 charging port but no CCS enhancement, which means you can’t hook it up to a fast DC charger.

On a standard AC 240-volt domestic plug port, you can charge this from 0-100% in around 7hrs 30mins. You get a great electric-only NEDC-rated driving range of up to 87km and that means you really only have to charge it every other day, which I appreciated. 

The official combined fuel cycle usage is 1.3L/100km, but you won’t really see that in the real world. After doing some longer trips mixed in with city slicking, my average real-world usage popped out at 6.5L/100km, and I averaged 20.2kWh/100km when in pure EV mode. They’re not the best hybrid figures I’ve seen for the class, but they're not too bad either.

Nissan claims the e-Power averages just 4.1L/100km, down from 4.8L/100km, for a carbon-dioxide emissions rating of 98 grams/km.

Around town that drops to 3.8L/100km and rises to 4.3L/100km out on the highway run.

Helping out economy is the one-pedal driving function, that acts as a dynamo to slow the car down (not to a full stop, mind) while providing some additional battery recharge via a press of a button.

Brimming the 55L fuel tank with the required 95 RON premium unleaded petrol, expect a range of up to 1340km (up from 1140km) between refills.

In practice, driving in heavy city traffic and on fast motorway roads alike, we averaged 6.7L/100km, though this did include some fast driving on challenging, rural roads. The trip meter indicated 5.0L/100km.

This NX feels like it has lots of power in reserve when you put your foot down and never struggles going up big hills. When it’s in pure EV mode, it’s very quiet but there’s no big fanfare when this kicks over to the traditional engine. You barely notice it until you’re on the open road travelling at higher speeds, and that’s when the engine starts to sound more growly like its non-hybrid siblings.

The steering is forgiving without feeling too light and around town, the NX is nimble and sure of itself. The suspension is on the firmer side, so you’ll hear and feel the bigger bumps, but it never feels rough.

Visibility is decent with the largish windows, and the pillars that aren’t too wide from my driving position. I do like having the digital rearview mirror, though, because when you have a big car seat or tall adult in the back seat, the vision back there is hindered.

It’s pretty hard to find a modern car that’s terrible to park, especially in the mid-size SUV segment, and the NX is no different. Even in a small car space, you still have good clearance around you, which hopefully translates to less dings from neighbouring cars!

The 360-degree view camera system is top notch with its quality, and I like that the car disappears and you can see the ground underneath.

Jumping from the previous Qashqai e-Power to the latest version is telling, as the MY26 upgrades do seem to have altered the Nissan’s character a little.

Keeping in mind we are in the big-wheeled Ti-L at nearly $60K drive-away, we approached this test with higher expectations, as this is firmly into premium small SUV territory.

Yet, from the moment we pressed the start button, the Qashqai impressed us with its quietness and refinement.

Off-the-line acceleration is pure EV, meaning immediate response thanks to a wave of instant torque, at least initially, and followed by a silent yet lively performer, with plenty in store should the need arise for a speedy overtaking manoeuvre.

The e-Power is particularly rapid if you need to plug shrinking gaps in traffic.

After a while, the petrol-engine generator kicks in. At first, it’s noticeable, because the electric drivetrain is so hushed and the peace is thus breached, but you soon become used to it. And, yes, in the Ti-L at least, it’s much quieter than before.

Using the throttle when the e-Power is in hybrid mode doesn’t seem as disconnected as before, with the battery recharging at a fairly steady rev rate while the electric motor continues to do the driving. The whole transition between pure EV and range-extender EV is fairly seamless.

The e-Power offers three driving modes – Eco, Normal and Sport. Initially, the Qashqai’s performance did not feel as eager as before, but a solid prod of the throttle does prove otherwise, with plenty of power coursing through the front wheels in either of the first two settings.

Choosing Sport does liven things up noticeably, with clearly quicker speed as a result of that 10 per cent kilowatt hike.

While we would prefer a set of paddle shifters to do the job, the E-Pedal regenerative-braking system that helps provide some off-throttle slowing down works well enough around town, though a full stop in a timely manner isn’t possible.

Meanwhile, brandishing a MacPherson-style strut front and multi-link rear suspension set-up, the Qashqai’s steering is beautifully weighted and nicely balanced, meaning that it’s light enough for easy round-town manoeuvrability yet agile and planted for fun fast cornering handling. It isn’t a lightweight machine at 1705kg, but the chassis is fluid enough to entertain the keen driver. There’s definitely a European flair to this Japanese-branded British car’s dynamic attitude.

Even the ADAS tech works away quietly, nicely tuned for local conditions and barely bothering the Nissan’s occupants, though there is some intrusive lane-keep alert interference at times.

We’ve driven many Qashqais since 2022, and the 20-inch wheeled Ti-L (and N-Design) is probably the least comfortable of the available size options, lacking the suppleness of the smaller alternatives. It manages to smother the higher-frequency bumps, but feels a tad too firm over larger humps. Not bad, but for this reason alone we’d probably go Ti only and forsake some of the little luxuries.

Still, the Qashqai is a satisfying, well-resolved small SUV to drive, with the e-Power adding a veneer of smooth, slick sophistication that helps elevate the experience.

Though the pre-MY26 Nissan Qashqai achieved a five-star ANCAP rating, more stringent crash-test protocols have seen a drop to four stars for the latest version.

Scoring a high 91 per cent rating for Child Occupant Protection, it slipped to 78 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection, 68 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection and just 62 per cent for Safety Assist.

The Qashqai Ti-L e-Power is fitted with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) offering pedestrian, cyclist and back-over detection, as well as lane support systems including lane-keep alert/assist, blind-spot monitoring, a driver fatigue monitor, auto high beams, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, parking sensors, seven airbags including full outboard side/head protection and a front-centre item, and a vehicle approach sound for pedestrians and cyclists.

The car-to-car AEB operates from 5-130km/h, pedestrian and cyclist AEB from 10-80km/h, and the lane support systems between 60-250km/h.

Finally, the Qashqai features ISOFIX child-seat latches fitted to the outboard rear seat positions, while a trio of top tethers for straps are included across the rear bench.

The NX is offered with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is on par with its European rivals.

It comes with a five-year capped price servicing program, where services are competitively priced at $595 each.

Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.

The Qashqai comes with a regular five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with roadside assistance, but that can increase up to 10 years (and 300,000km) if the vehicle is serviced annually and on time at an authorised Nissan dealer.

Furthermore, the first five years cost $399 per service as part of Nissan’s capped-price servicing regime.

Service intervals are at every 15,000km or 12 months, whichever comes first.

Finally, there are about 180 dealers dotted around Australia.