2017 Nissan Qashqai N-Sport arrives in showrooms

Nissan Australia has enhanced the showroom appeal of its Qashqai small SUV with the arrival of a new N-Sport special edition.

Nissan claims there’s an extra $1800 worth of extra value built into the Qashqai N-Sport, which retails for $28,690 – just $200 more than the Qashqai ST petrol 2WD CVT that it’s based upon.

3

However, in a confusing move Nissan has elected to apply a special drive-away pricetag to both models that’s considerably less than the retail sticker. At $26,990 including on-road costs, the Qashqai N-Sport is a keen deal. The Qashqai ST petrol 2WD automatic is priced at $27,990 drive-away, meanwhile.

It’s worth nothing, however, that these sharp drive-away prices only apply to cars ordered before the end of August and delivered by the end of September.

Mechanically, the N-Sport produces the same 106kW/200Nm outputs as the Qashqai ST petrol 2WD, with average fuel economy of 6.9L/100km. The differences come from the N-Sport’s machined-face 18-inch five spoke alloys and exterior trim (door sills, tailgate garnish, front and rear bumpers) finished in “Ice Chrome”

3

Elsewhere, the feature set is the same as the ST grade. That means standard features like a reversing camera, electronic parking brake, four-speaker audio system, cruise control and five-inch colour infotainment display – basic, compared to the seven-inch display, satellite navigation, climate control, keyless entry/ignition and six-speaker audio of the Ti and TS grades.

Then again, that $27k drive-away price point is a fairly compelling number in the context of entry-level small SUVs.

The Qashqai is currently the third most popular small SUV in Australia, according to year-to-date sales figures. Only the Mitsubishi ASX and Mazda CX-3 sell in greater quantity, though Honda’s HR-V compact is currently nipping at its heels. In Nissan’s own showroom, the Qashqai is a core model and sits in third place behind the X-Trail and Navara.