Volvo XC40 vs Nissan Qashqai

What's the difference?

The Volvo XC40 Recharge Twin Motor is a cute small electric SUV that offers a decent specs list and a sweet urban driving experience. It’s not the nicest ride on a longer journey but it does have a decent range to be able to tackle one, if needed. I didn’t love the interior design but there’s lots the XC40 gets right.

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 XC40 Recharge sees some design changes from its fuel-based counterparts and that’s mainly seen in the front because you get a body-coloured panel instead of a standard grille. The 20-inch alloys feature a chunkier-looking design but the front still boasts the cool ‘Hammer of Thor’ headlights (which I'm rather fond of).

The interior is where the electric powertrain loses me because the fuel-based equivalent is so much nicer inside with its leather-accented upholstery and trims.

It's lovely that there has been a conscious effort to use recycled materials and non-leather upholstery throughout but I'm left with the strange-feeling that synthetic seats don’t reflect the grade or price level of this car. 

Other than the cool-looking topography inserts on the dash and front doors and the 9.0-inch vertical multimedia system, it’s pleasant but a little basic in the cabin. Which is shame because the exterior is cute as hell.

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.

Front passengers enjoy the most space and I have plenty of head- and legroom up front. It’s a really easy car to get in and out of and the individual storage is very good for the class. 

Front passengers enjoy a glove box, middle console with a removeable bin, two cupholders, utility tray and skinny drink bottle holders in the storage bins in the doors.

In the rear, passengers get map pockets on the backs of the front seats, two cupholders in the fold-down armrest and small storage bins in each door.

The synthetic leather-trimmed seats look neat and tidy but are very hard in the cushion, which makes them a tad uncomfortable on longer trips. The rear seats are much the same.

Charging options throughout the car are good with the front enjoying a 12-volt port, two USB-C sockets and a wireless charging pad to choose from. The rear also gets two USB-C ports and there's another 12-volt outlet in the boot.

The rest of the technology is easy to use once you spend some time with it. The 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system features built-in Google Maps, Assistant and Play Store apps, as well as, YouTube.

The 12.0-inch digital instrument panel isn’t customisable but I like the way it pulls through the satellite navigation screen and directions.  

Because of the dual-motor powertrain, your boot capacity drops to 419L from 452L for the single-motor variant. It is large enough for my grocery shop and random errands and you can fold the floor up to create a deep storage well for additional space. Fold the 60/40 split-folding rear seat and available space expands to 1295 litres.

I don’t like the hardened cargo liner, it feels and looks a little cheap, but I do like the powered tailgate. There’s also handy frunk storage of 31L, which is perfectly sized for any charging cables you will have.

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 XC40 Recharge Twin Motor features two electric motors which are powered by a large 82kWh lithium-ion battery and produce a combined power output of 300kW and 670Nm of torque.

Which is downright fun because it can do a 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.8-seconds!

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 official energy consumption figure is 19kWh/100km and I averaged 19.2kWh over a fair mix of urban and open-road driving. The energy consumption isn't bad but some rivals do sit closer to that 16.5kWh mark.

The official driving range is up to 485km for this model but I only ever saw a top range of 410km. That's not terribly surprising given I wasn't shy with the power use but there was a little bit of range anxiety on longer trips.

The XC40 Recharge Twin Motor has a Type 2 CCS charging port which means you can benefit from faster charging speeds. On an 11kW AC charger you can go from 0-100 per cent in eight hours but on a standard three-pin house plug socket expect that wait time to go up significantly.

On a DC fast charger expect to go from 10-80 per cent in as little as 33-minutes.

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.

Like the Polestar 2 there’s no ignition button on the XC40. You shift into drive to ‘turn on’ and after you park, you simply get out to turn it off. It takes a little while to get used to but it’s a cool feature. 

The twin motors deliver a hefty kick and you never worry about not having ‘enough power’. In the city it’s zippy but on the open-road you also feel comfortable getting up to speed or overtaking because the power distribution is so well-balanced because it’s an AWD.

I customised my steering wheel ‘feel’ to firm and it makes the handling crisp and direct. You feel like you’re in total control whenever you have to tackle be it tight streets or small car parks.

The blind-spot visibility is compromised by how wide the B and C-pillars are and I find that I'm relying a lot more on the blind-spot monitoring system to compensate.

The XC40 loses a few points for me in terms of ride comfort. As mentioned, the seats aren't terribly comfortable but the suspension is hard enough that you notice every bump, as well.

Road noise is also quite pronounced and it doesn’t sound refined when you drive at higher speeds, which is a shame. The flip-side, though, is that you don’t notice those things as much on short, urban trips.

The standard regen braking isn’t customisable and you don’t notice it until you switch over to a 'one-pedal' function. I found this function uncomfortable to use as it’s very aggressive and creates a jerky driving experience. 

Because of its 4440mm length and tiny 11m turning circle, you won’t struggle in a car park! The 360-degree view camera system and front and rear parking sensors make it easy to navigate a tight spot.

This is a joy to park. It’s so easy.

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 ongoing costs are pretty solid with the XC40 coming with a usual five-year/ unlimited warranty term but the drive battery is covered for eight years/160,000km.

You can pre-purchase a five-year/150,000km servicing program for a flat $3000 or an average of $600 per service, which is a bit expensive for the class. Servicing intervals are great at every two-years or 30,000km, whichever occurs first.

You get complimentary roadside assistance for five-years through Assist Australia and if you meet certain criteria, you can extend that by a further three years, which is handy.

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.