Nissan Qashqai review

The base mild hybrid with a manual in Acenta Premium trim starts at £30,635 and moves through N-Connecta for £33,105 and on to Tekna and N-Design, which cost the same at £35,025 but have different specs.

The Tekna+ is the top grade and offers up pretty much everything Nissan has to offer, but that balloons to £41,125 because you can only have it with the auto CVT (which is £2.5k ish extra on the other trims). That feels pricey for a value proposition like a Qashqai.

The e-Power starts at £34,875 and winds out to £43,225, which is way too much.

Entry-level kit on Acenta Premium includes 17in alloys, the 12.3in screen, a rear-view camera, dual-zone climate control and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

N-Connecta models get the built-in Google tech, Around View Monitor, a wireless charger for your phone, and heated seats and steering wheel, plus the ride-aiding 18in wheels. We reckon that's the sweet spot.

N-Design adds 19s, body-coloured bumpers and two-tone paint, a panoramic glass roof and a heated windscreen, while Tekna models get ambient lighting and a powered tailgate.

Tekna+ rides on 20s, and adds fripperies like the quilted leather front seats with massage function, a Bose sound system and multi-link suspension. 

What spec would you go for?

If you can stomach paying an extra four-ish grand for the e-Power, we'd go with that – it's more capable than the mild hybrid and better on fuel too.

Nissan's own finance calculator suggests you can have the N-Connecta and e-Power engine for £470 per month over three years at 2.9 per cent APR, assuming a deposit just shy of £4k. Obviously the more you can commit up front, the lower the monthlies – but you'll need to stump up at least £11k before Nissan will entertain zero-interest finance, so be sure to shop around.

The Bose sound system used to be a reasonably priced option, but now it lives only on the top-spec Tekna+. Boo! Hiss!