11 hours ago
6
Nissan drove the Qashqai SUV over 1200km around Australia's southernmost state, never refuelling once and using just 50 litres of fuel.
Nissan has used a drive around Tasmania on a single tank – more than 1303km, using 4.5 litres per 100 kilometres – to demonstrate the improved fuel consumption of its updated 2026 Qashqai hybrid SUV.
The updated Qashqai debuts a new-generation e-Power hybrid drivetrain, claimed to lower fuel consumption to better compete with rivals from Hyundai and Toyota.
Nissan filled up the Qashqai in Geelong, before boarding the Spirit of Tasmania ferry to Devonport in northern Tasmania.
It proceeded to complete a lap of the island, returning to the ferry and disembarking in Geelong to refuel, totalling 1303km at an average of 4.5L/100km.
The 2026 Qashqai claims fuel efficiency of 4.1L/100km, but the lab-tested official figures are not always reflective of real-world driving conditions.
The disparity between lab results and real-world efficiency has faced greater scrutiny since the Australian Government began funding real-world efficiency testing.
This testing on real roads is undertaken by the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) to determine how a car’s fuel use matches up to advertised figures. The AAA regularly releases testing results for new vehicles, and results can vary widely.
The 2026 Nissan Qashqai e-Power is yet to be put through these real-world tests by the AAA, though the now-discontinued non-hybrid variant was tested in 2025, recording 11 per cent higher fuel use than in lab testing.
“This trip isn’t laboratory testing, this is the real world and real conditions, completing a dream lap of Tasmania that so many Australians have either done, or would love to,” Nissan Oceania Managing Director, Steve Milette, said in a media statement.
Nissan describes its e-Power technology as delivering an “EV-like drive experience”, but without the concerns associated with the need to charge.
A conventional hybrid system, as found in a Toyota or Hyundai, can drive the wheels on using the engine or the battery, or both simultaneously, to maximise efficiency.
In contrast, Nissan’s e-Power system only drives the wheels with the electric motor, and uses the engine only to charge the battery.
Central to the 2026 Qashqai is what Nissan calls its new ‘5-in-1’ powertrain, which houses the electric motor, generator, inverter, increaser and reducer in a single unit, reducing cost and improving efficiency.
The Qashqai's lap around Tasmania included Launceston, the Bay of Fires, Freycinet, Hobart, and the famous 99 hairpins on the winding road into Queenstown on Tasmania’s west coast.
The 2026 Nissan Qashqai starts at $45,640 before on-road costs for the ST-L e‑Power variant.
Max is the News Publishing Coordinator for Drive. He enjoys creating engaging digital content, including videos, podcasts, interactive maps, and graphs. Prior to Drive, he studied at Monash University and gained experience working for various publications. He grew up playing Burnout 3: Takedown on the PS2 and was disappointed when real life car races didn’t have the same physics.
