Nissan will not offer a plug-in hybrid version of its new Qashqai despite the rising numbers of competitors offering the drivetrain in Europe's key compact SUV segment.
"There is definitely no intention to bring any plug-in hybrid on this Qashqai generation," Arnaud Charpentier, the automaker's Europe product marketing boss, told journalists during an online discussion following the reveal of the third-generation model.
Nissan instead will offer a hybrid lineup starting with mild hybrid and next year adding a full-hybrid called e-Power.
Nissan's success in transferring its e-Power drivetrain from its smaller Japanese models convinced it that it did not need an alternative electrified option that could be plugged in.
"We made such big improvement with this powertrain that we decided that a PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) wouldn't bring real benefit to the customer," Charpentier said, adding that a PHEV would be "much more expensive."
Compact SUVs were Europe's biggest segment for plug-in hybrids in the first seven months of 2020 with sales of just over 90,000, figures from market analyst JATO Dynamics show.
The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV was the top-seller, followed by the plug-in hybrid version of the Ford Kuga. Compact SUVs from Stellantis brands also offer PHEV versions, including the Peugeot 3008, Citroen C5 Aircross and Opel/Vauxhall Grandland X.