Volvo XC90 vs Nissan Qashqai

What's the difference?

It’s a credit to Volvo that the XC90 feels like a new car, even with its older underpinnings. This latest update has successfully addressed areas that needed the most attention, namely the multimedia system, interior and exterior design. The electric driving range now feels somewhat old school compared to the numbers some manufacturers can achieve these days. A lot of PHEVs now exceed 100km EV range and buyers are starting to expect that. And setting up the third row takes way too much effort to want to do it regularly. The new Volvo XC90 is a comfortable, engaging and properly premium family SUV and the updates have only improved what was already a solid offering.

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.

Back in early 2015, I attended the international launch of the second-generation Volvo XC90. At the time I thought it was a handsome SUV, with Volvo successfully interpreting what is essentially a big people-hauling box on wheels with typical Scandinavian flair.

There’s been a facelift since then, but this latest refresh brings the XC90 bang up to date.

New elements include a modern take on the 'Thor's Hammer' LED headlights, and a new bonnet and grille with an updated diagonal logo spread across the car's face. At the rear the only change is slightly darker tail-lights.

The new grille in particular looks great, and with all of the blacked-out elements of the T8 - grille, lower air intakes, parts of the apron, mirror caps, roof rails and window surrounds - it looks quite cool, especially contrasted with the test car's 'Crystal White' paint. It has elevated the overall look.

Inside, Volvo has made big changes, mostly with the dash and console. It retains the familiarity of other Volvos, but is much more in keeping with its new all-electric EX90 sibling.

It still has a horizontal theme, but with cool new vertical air vents. The new multimedia screen fits well into the dash layout, and isn’t over sized. It’s the ideal size at 11.2 inches. There are a few buttons underneath but not many.

The mix of materials used at the front of the cabin includes ‘Grey Ash’ wood, piano black, chrome, metal-look speakers, grey fabric and soft touch as well as hard plastics. It sounds like it would be too much but it works well.

Volvo has always been a leader when it comes to car seats and the new XC90 is no exception. The beautifully designed ventilated charcoal Nappa leather seats look and feel stunning. The tiny Swedish flag is a nice touch, too.

The engine start/stop button and the crystal selector add a touch of glamour to the cabin. Overall, the XC90 feels properly premium inside, still with a Scandinavian bent. Just lovely.

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.

Any dedicated seven-seat family SUV needs to nail practicality and when it comes to the Volvo XC90, there are clear pros and some surprising cons.

One of the many pros is the seats. As mentioned, they look schmick, but are also supremely comfortable and offer the perfect level of bolstering and support. The T8 has a seat adjustment memory function that can be programmed into the driver profiles that also tailors other functions to suit different drivers.

The quality of the materials and build quality of the cabin is largely impressive. Even the damping of the indicator stalk has a feeling of high-end quality.

Volvo’s digital instrument cluster is clear and easy to navigate, once you work out what the buttons on the steering wheel do. They don’t have words on them so it takes a while. The driver’s manual comes in handy for this.

The big story in the cabin is the new 11.2-inch multimedia display. Volvo uses a Google platform and the car comes with Google Services which includes Google Assistant voice control, Maps and Play.

I’m a fan of Apple CarPlay and once I have assessed a car’s in-house multimedia system I often defer to CarPlay. It’s simple and familiar. But aside from using CarPlay to connect once, I used Volvo’s system for the vast majority of my time with this car.

Logging into your Google account means your favourites come up on the map and there is no downside to functionality. If I had the car for longer I would've added Spotify to the system and logged into that, too, but I was happy listening to digital radio on the phenomenal 19-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system.

The screen takes some familiarisation, but once you understand the home keys and how to switch between apps, it’s a pleasure to use. It has a clear layout, nice graphics and is responsive. Yes, the air con controls are mostly housed in the screen, but if you tap the lower part of the screen the entire climate menu appears. It is light years ahead of Volvo’s previous screen set-up.

Most functions are housed in the screen, although there are buttons just under the screen for volume and audio on/off, front and rear demisters, hazard lights and a button to open the glove box.

Storage up front is just okay. The console houses shallow cupholders and a handy upright phone holder, as well as the device charging pad. It’s a shame there’s no under console storage, but the transmission tunnel might be too chunky for that.

The shallow central bin houses two USB-C ports and a 12-volt outlet. Bottle storage is decent in the front door cards.

The panoramic sunroof only has a sheer blind (it’s powered) which is less than ideal in a country like Australia. It’s been fine in winter but I’m curious to know what it’s like in the height of summer.

The second row features manual window blinds to keep your little ones cool.

There’s some back support for the second-row seats but the base is flat. Some of the seat fabric in that row looks like it doesn’t quite fit, but I think that’s the nature of the leather with the intricate designs.

In terms of space, there’s ample leg, toe and headroom, and the rear backrests recline for extra comfort on long trips. The bases roll forward and back and the seats are split 40/20/40.

Kids will likely fight over who has to sit in the middle seat because the combination of an intrusive transmission tunnel and the rear of the front centre console protruding into the space means it is not a great seat.

Occupants have access to chest and knee-level air vents, heated seat and digital climate controls, map pockets, two USB-C ports and a central fold-down armrest with a fiddly cupholder mechanism. The rear doors will only house small, narrow bottles.

Accessing the third row of the Volvo is challenging. For starters, to move the second row seats forward you need to use the lever at the top of the seat and the roller under the base to move them. And they are heavy seats. That leaves just enough of an aperture to get into the third row.

But first you have to raise the third row. Sadly there’s no lever in the boot area to quickly raise or lower the third-row seats. You have to either climb into the boot and reach for the lever at the top of the seats, or reach through the back door and try and raise them that way. And again, they are heavy.

It is a deeply unintuitive system and leaves you exhausted and frustrated. Especially when you consider other seven seaters have a much more functional and lightweight third-row arrangement.

Once in the third row, it’s clear it is for humans with tiny legs only. It is not a space appropriate for six-foot tall men like me, even for short distances. You do get ample headroom, air vents, cupholders and storage boxes on either side that open up to show a kid-friendly spider web design with a friendly looking spider. Cute!

The seats fold flat into the boot floor and the loading lip is level with the floor so loading heavy or long items should be a breeze. You can adjust the air suspension from the boot to lower the height further which is always a handy feature.

It comes with a solid cargo blind but you need to remove it if you want to raise the third row. When putting it back in, it catches on the third-row seat belts, so it’s not the best design.

In terms of boot features, the Volvo comes with a household charging cable that is housed neatly under the boot floor in a stylish bag. Many PHEVs and EVs still don’t have a dedicated spot to house a cable so you have to take up boot space with a chunky cable bag. Good job, Volvo.

It has a powered tailgate, a few nooks and a pair of 5.0kg hooks. However, it doesn’t have a spare wheel of any description. Just a tyre repair kit. This is due to packaging restrictions, but it’s never an ideal solution.

In terms of space, the Volvo can swallow 640 litres of cargo with the second row up and 301L with all three rows in place. That latter figure isn’t bad compared to some seven-seaters.

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.

Two powertrains are available in the new XC90, both with all-wheel drive.

The B5 Bright comes with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with 48-volt mild hybrid assistance offering 183kW of power and 350Nm of torque. It can dash from zero to 100km/h in 7.7 seconds.

The version I’m testing has a 233kW, 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with a plug-in hybrid system that uses a 107kW electric motor and an 18.8kWh, 400-volt battery.

The total system output for the T8 PHEV is 340kW and a meaty 709Nm. It uses an eight-speed automatic transmission. It can complete the 0-100km/h sprint in a brisk 5.3 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 mild-hybrid XC90 B5 Bright has an official fuel use figure of 8.1 litres per 100 kilometres, which is on the thirsty side, although it is a 2.5-tonne SUV.

Officially, the XC90 T8 Plug In Hybrid sips just 1.8L/100km on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle, but as with any PHEVs, unless you charge your car religiously and never drive far enough to deplete the battery, that figure is extremely hard to achieve.

I charged the car regularly using my home wall charger (two to three hours for a full charge) and the fuel gauge barely moved.

After a week of mixed driving my final fuel economy figure was 3.4 litres per 100km, which isn’t too bad.

The XC90 T8 has a 3.6kW onboard charger and a Type 2 plug so it’s only capable of AC charging. It is not compatible with a DC source so no fast charging on the go.

The official electric driving range according to Volvo is 77km, which feels a little old school compared to the many PHEVs landing on the market now that have an EV driving range in excess of 100km.

The offical figure also seems somewhat optimistic because the most I got on a full charge was 60km. Anecdotally, I have heard it can get up to 70km after a charge, it just didn't get there in my time with the XC90.

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.

For a tall, large and heavy SUV, the XC90 has an excellent driving position. You feel hunkered down in the driver’s seat; it’s almost sporty!

Those healthy power and torque figures translate well on the road. It is properly quick off the mark and picks up pace rapidly when already at speed. You do need to work out the trigger point for the accelerator because if you give it too much it feels a little like a slingshot.

The transition between the electric motor and the petrol engine is noticeable, but it’s still smooth. It’s not harsh or clunky like some hybrids and PHEVs. Similarly, the eight-speed transmission is so smooth it rarely makes its presence felt. It's a lovely match for this powertrain.

On that, the cabin is incredibly well insulated. It’s a hushed ride at any speed. Again, you’ll hear the engine kick in but it has a nice note so that noise is welcome.

The powertrain has several driving modes including 'Pure' (EV only), 'Power' (for added performance) and 'Hybrid'. Hybrid is the go-to and 'Auto' allows the system to determine when the petrol engine kicks in. This is the best everyday mode.

Volvo understands the XC90 is more than just family transport and has engineered it in such a way that it offers a surprising level of dynamism.

It’s flatter in corners and bends than you expect of a car of this size and weight. It has a balanced chassis, likely helped by the air suspension, with minimal body roll and little lateral movement inside. Impressive.

It has enough grip on looser surfaces, aided by the all-wheel drive set-up.

The ride quality is more composed and refined at higher speeds, regardless of the road conditions, managing potholes and the like quite well. Volvo has tweaked the suspension tune as part of the update for this very reason.

At lower urban speeds, it’s not quite as calm. You’ll feel speed bumps and potholes and it's a little jiggly on rough surfaces. The low profile (275/35 R22) tyres are partly to blame here.

With that said, it’s not enough to dampen the overall XC90 drive experience. It is a lovely car to drive, whether cruising on freeways, country road blasts or city commuting.

Its underpinnings might be 10 years old, but the XC90 feels as fresh to drive as many of its rivals.

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 XC90 is covered by Volvo’s five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, and the servicing schedule is every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. These are similar terms to other premium brands in Australia.

Buyers can opt for one of two capped-price servicing packs, costing $2380 for three years and $3870 for five years.

This pricing is a little more than the BMW X5 but quite a bit more affordable than the Mercedes-Benz GLE.

The Swedish brand used to have a reputation for over-priced servicing but it’s sharpened up its offer considerably in recent years.

Volvo has around 40 dealerships located across Australia and conducts its servicing in-house at the dealer.

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.