Nissan Qashqai Proves 4.5L/100km On Tasmanian Lap
nissan qashqaie power tasmania 209
The 2026 Nissan Qashqai with the new generation e-POWER just did something most cars only dream of: it completed a lap of Tasmania on a single tank of fuel. Fill in Geelong, ferry to Devonport, then off around the island for a proper road trip without stopping for petrol. By the time it reboarded for the return crossing the trip meter read 1,209.2 km at an indicated average of 4.5L/100km, and the car ultimately reached 1,303 km before finally refuelling.
The route was not a motorway amble. The Qashqai tackled freeways, town streets, coastal ribbon roads and steep hill climbs through the kind of scenery that makes navigation systems feel poetic. Covering more than 1,300 km on 55 litres of fuel under posted speed limits and real-world conditions is a tidy way to demonstrate that the new e-POWER system is more than marketing copy.
What Makes The New e-POWER Tick
The headline tech is a compact 5-in-1 powertrain architecture that combines the electric motor, generator, inverter, increaser and reducer into a single unit. Translation: less weight, less complexity and cleaner energy transfer from tank to wheels. That package is married to a redesigned 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine using STARC combustion technology, which Nissan says pushes thermal efficiency as high as 42 percent.
On the combined cycle the updated Qashqai is rated at 4.1L/100km with CO2 emissions of 92 g/km. Those ADR numbers are tidy, but the Tasmania run is the important bit because it shows how the car behaves when you are actually driving it and not running synthetic test loops. The e-POWER setup is designed to give an EV-like driving feel while keeping the convenience of a petrol engine doing the range-extending work.
Plainly, the experiment proves two things: the system can be extremely efficient in mixed real-world use, and you do not have to become a misery who glides around town at 30 km/h to get good consumption numbers. The run recorded an indicated average of 4.5L/100km across varied terrain and normal speeds, which stacks up well against the combined-cycle figure of 4.1L/100km.
The 2026 Qashqai is arriving in local showrooms with a range of e-POWER grades and suggested pricing starting at $45,640 for the ST-L e-POWER, $49,640 for the Ti e-POWER, $53,640 for the Ti-L e-POWER and $54,140 for the N-Design e-POWER. Those prices exclude on-road costs and optional extras.
In short, this is not a lab stunt. It is a proper drive in proper conditions that shows next-generation e-POWER can cut fuel use while still providing the kind of responsive, electric-style driving many buyers now expect.
Zachary Skinner is the editor of TechDrivePlay.com, where tech, cars and adventure share the fast lane.
A former snowboarding pro and programmer, he brings both creative flair and technical know-how to his reviews. From high-performance cars to clever gadgets, he explores how innovation shapes the way we move, connect and live.
