2023 Nissan Qashqai hits dealers after 12 months off sale

UPDATE, January 2023: New Qashqai driven in Australia!

After pricing was announced early in 2022, the new-gen 2023 Nissan Qashqai is finally in Australia – and we've driven it! Get our full story at the link below.

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The 2023 Nissan Qashqai has arrived in Australian dealerships. It comes after a dry-spell for the Japanese manufacturer that stopped selling the second-gen small SUV roughly 12 months ago.

The British-built third-gen Qashqai arrives several months late after an expected launch in the first quarter of 2022, with the range spanning from the $33,890 (before on-road costs) ST to the flagship Ti ($47,390).

Prices are up between 19-22 per cent over the last-gen car, but with a modern 110kW/250Nm turbo-petrol engine, fresh alliance-developed CMF-C underpinnings and a segment-leading 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen to justify the hike.

An e-Power hybrid powertrain will also join the lineup in 2023, though timing and pricing is still unconfirmed.

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Speaking to Wheels at the media launch of the new Qashqai, Nissan Australia's managing director, Adam Paterson, confirmed strong demand for the new SUV from dealers and customers despite the nameplate’s extended absence from Aussie showrooms.

“When you don't have a car and segment that the customer is looking for at that time, then yes, they might decide to purchase something else. I would say the benefit that we have is that, over this period, there hasn't been a lot of supply – generally speaking – in the market.

“So there are likely customers that are waiting that just didn't have the option to purchase something else, even though they had a need right away and could have delayed their purchase for us”, said Paterson.

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1500 Qashqai orders in Oz

Executives at Nissan Australia confirmed there are currently a little over 1500 Qashqai orders lodged, and 288 new-gen cars delivered to the end of November 2022 – but these numbers aren’t maxing out supply just yet.

“There are far more than 1500 cars on the way and on the water. I have no problem saying that, but the reality is that we've got 180 dealers across the country”, Paterson told Wheels.

Naturally, not every one of the 1500 orders will be able to match exactly up with the variants, trims and colour choices on boats. This means there may be some free stock for variants and colours in less desirable combinations. As always, it’s best to contact your local dealer to find out.

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“For us, [Qashqai] will likely slot in as our second, third or fourth volume model across the brand behind X-Trail and Navara, and then again it's probably supply-based if it'll land at three or four.”

With Nissan’s SUV lineup being so fresh in Australia, with X-Trail and Pathfinder only just ahead of the Qashqai, it’s tricky to get a read on how many sales the brand is targeting here.

Roughly 300 units in the first month on sale is solid, but rivals such as the Toyota Corolla Cross (768) and Volkswagen T-Roc (468) performed more strongly in November. We’ll have to wait until next year for a full read on the Qashqai’s sales potential.

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Supply restrictions ease, but not gone for good

At least vehicle supply looks like it’s improving for Nissan, if not returning to normality in a hurry.

“We’re definitely in a much better position than we were last year. And I can just tell you that because we have a longer supply line on Qashqai being European-built than we do on the Japanese- and Thai-built products. There's lots of cars on the water, or have arrived so far.

“But, again, I think the industry is far from being at any level of absolute normality, where there’s supply constraints. Where there's not, there are shipping challenges and I don't think all of that is behind this,” Paterson said.

2023 Nissan Qashqai pricing