I got to drive the BRAND NEW 2023 Nissan Qashqai with my family and put it through our BabyDrive testing! Lets find out how we got on…
I am lucky enough to drive this top-spec Ti model in the Magnetic Blue clolourway with a pearl black floating roof, making it definitely look great from the exterior. The super shiny and smooth paintwork has to be seen to be believed, it's almost as though the car is wrapped in blue foil.
Inside, the 2023 Nissan Qashqai is modern and minimal with all the storage you need but nothing unnecessary cluttering up the dash or central console. There are good-size cup holders in the front and a wireless phone charging pad. The central console box is a fair size with a tray in the top that you could use for your sunglasses as (like more and more modern cars) there is no case in the ceiling.
The glove box is small but able to hold an iPad and a wallet if you want to leave things out of sight when you go to the beach or shops. The front and rear door bins are practical, easily holding a large refillable water bottle.
A fold-down armrest in the central seat back has two cup holders; these will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup.
Rear passengers are well catered for with map pockets on the back of both front seats that will hold an iPad but not quite conceal it. All models of the 2023 Nissan Qashqai have rear aircon vents, which is fantastic news for parents being able to keep rear passengers more comfortable. It also has USB and USB-C sockets in the back so rear passengers can charge phones or devices.
Front passengers are also very comfortable in this top-spec Ti model, with its quilted leather upholstery and both front seats have a wonderful massage function that's easily turned on and off with a button beside your seats, with three types of massage available in the touchscreen. With this car, traffic jams just mean you get a longer massage. No road rage!
Storage is impressive in the boot of the new Nissan Qashqai too, where there some new features were enjoyed by our family.
The boot floor is really versatile with an easily wipe-clean surface on one side and the usual carpet on the other. We found the wipe-clean surface was great for our family as we spend a lot of time at the beach and it meant we weren't getting sand etc caught in the carpet.
The boot floor of the new Qashqai can also be divided up into two sections which we found really helpful for keeping all the kids' things, like balls, helmets, swim bags etc in one place so they didn't roll around the boot. This leaves the front section of the boot clear for picking up the weekly shop (I LOVE direct-to-boot delivery at the supermarket).
You can also remove the boot floor panels altogether and give yourself more boot depth which is handy for prams that stack to transport.
From empty, the boot of the Nissan Qashqai will hold twelve shopping bags, which is two more than the previous model Qashqai and bigger than rivals including the Mitsubishi ASX, Kia Seltos, Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross and Skoda Karoq that all hold eleven shopping bags whereas the Haval Jolion holds ten bags and the Hyundai Kona holds nine.
For families that need to, a twin side-by-side pram fits comfortably in the boot with a couple of bags of shopping.
A single pram fits in the boot easily too with four shopping bags.
Or if you use a compact stroller eight bags of shopping will fit easily around it in the boot of the 2023 Nissan Qashqai.
If you want to transport your pet dog in the Qashqai too then a small-medium size dog will comfortably in the boot and you have the flexibility of the carpet side of the boot floor for them to be comfortable and then flip it over for the return journey after their walk so they don't make the floor too muddy!
There is more good news for families in the back seats of the new Nissan Qashqai. There are ISOFix connectors in the two outer rear seats that are within plastic guides and nice and easy to connect to.
There are three top tether anchorages in the Nissan Qashqai on the back of the rear seats that are clearly labelled and easily accessible through the boot.
When it comes to installing child seats in the back of the new Nissan Qashqai it feels more spacious in the back than the previous model Qashqai. Three Infasecure child seats fit really nicely in the back of the new Nissan Qashqai. I installed the Infasecure Adapt more and Achieve More rear-facing and the Infasecure Attain More forward facing. The rear seats feel wider and you would fit three forward-facing Attain More child seats across the back if you needed to.
Legroom is still tight in the Nissan Qashqai and we could fit a 170cm driver in front of a rear-facing child seat. With forward-facing child seats installed in the back a 180cm+ driver could get comfy. With a rear-facing seat behind the front passenger, someone of up to 180cm front passenger can just about fit.
Keyless entry is standard across the 2023 Nissan Qashqai range and I have really appreciated having it during my week with the Qashqai. It has made going to and from the car with my girls easier as I haven't had to search for my keys and can simply press the button on the doors to lock and unlock the car.
The top-spec model 2023 Nissan Qashqai features a hands-free tailgate which is so handy when loading prams etc into the boot too.
The media system in the new Nissan Qashqai has been vastly updated. All but the base model have a 12.3-inch media screen which feels modern and large in an SUV of this size (it's as big as the one in the Haval Jolion but feels more up-to-date). I found it easy to use and navigate, and having a minimal dash means most of your controls and settings are done within the screen (for better or worse as it can take a while to know where some settings are found).
It has digital radio and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, on all but the base model too which I've enjoyed with my family and makes it easy to access my phone for music, messages and navigation apps when driving without having to take my phone out of my bag for short trips like school runs etc.
You can control the front massage seats through the media screen too and there are three different massages to choose from; my personal favourite is ‘Relaxing'.
Satellite navigation also comes as standard in all but the base model too.
The reversing cameras are nice and clear in the 2023 Nissan Qashqai, giving you two nice big, clear visuals and the Birdseye view (as well as front wheel view) are great for parking.
Visibility is good in the new Nissan Qashqai when parking and manoeuvring the excellent cameras and side mirrors really help. When driving, if you have three child seats in the back visibility out of the rear side windows is affected but again in this instance the side mirrors and cameras are helpful.
There is a great seatbelt removal visual in the driver's display so you know immediately if anyone has taken off their seatbelt and you can clearly see how many kilometres of fuel you have left on the driver display too.
The new 2023 Nissan Qashqai will also comes packed full of safety systems with Nissan's Pro-Pilot safety suite available on all but the bottom spec model.
All models include rear camera and rear parking sensors, forward collision warning with forward auto emergency braking, lane departure warning (LDW) and lane departure prevention (LDP), blind spot intervention (BSM), tyre pressure monitoring (TPMS), traffic sign recognition and active speed limiter, rear-cross traffic alert (RCTA), active emergency braking (AEB), driver attention alert, rear passenger alert, intelligent cruise control, high beam assist and a far side airbag that comes between the two front passengers heads so they do not collide in the event of an accident.
I have enjoyed driving the new 2023 Nissan Qashqai with my family. As a family of four, we have found it fits our needs. Provided we're mindful of where to place the rear-facing child seat, we all fit in comfortably with enough room in the boot for our compact stroller, two scooters, our beach gear and a weekly shop!
The drive is smooth and road and wind noise is minimal at low speeds as well as high speeds and on motorways. The Qashqai is a fun and nippy little SUV to drive and has the solid feeling you would expect from a larger car which is really reassuring. The cruise control is easy to use and keeps to the set speed well. Driving this small SUV makes commuting, school runs and daily family driving really enjoyable.
The new 2023 Nissan Qashqai has scored a five-star ANCAP Safety Rating with a massive 93% for child occupant protection making it one of the safest cars for kids you can buy in Australia. It has seven airbags as standard including dual frontal, side chest, side head and a centre airbag that comes between the front passengers heads to prevent them from hitting together in the event of an accident.
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