Nissan goes dark with Qashqai Midnight Edition

NISSAN has spruced up its Qashqai small SUV with a number of darkened visual upgrades to create the Midnight Edition, which is set to touch down in local showrooms in November priced from $35,900 plus on-road costs.

Its asking price slots the Midnight Edition in near the top of the Qashqai range, above the N-Sport ($35,000) but below the flagship Ti, which asks $38,790.

As the name would suggest, darkened highlights are the name of the game for the Midnight Edition, with a number of exterior elements finished in gloss black, starting with the V-motion grille.

Then front and rear bumper blades have also been finished in gloss black, as have the auto-folding mirror caps, body side moulding and roof rails.

Giving the Midnight Edition a more sophisticated feel, the skirting around the bottom of the car and wheelarches has been finished in body-colour paint, complete with gloss black inserts.

Unique 19-inch alloy wheels have been applied to the Midnight Edition, finished in black and paired with low-profile rubber for a sporty look.

Five exterior paint colours are offered on the Midnight Edition, consisting of Vivid Blue, Ivory Pearl, Gun Metallic, Magnetic Red and Pearl Black.

Darkened LED head- and tail-lights add extra visual menace, and come complete with adaptive front lighting.

Moving inside the vehicle, the occupants are greeted by illuminated kick plates, while brushed black accents are applied to the dashboard and door trims.

Alcantara and leather is used for the seat upholstery, while leather accents are also applied to the steering wheel, gear shifter, gear surround and centre console. 

A black roofliner completes the darkened interior look.

Like other Qashqais, the Midnight Edition features a 7.0-inch touchscreen display Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, DAB+ digital radio and sat-nav, as well as a full suite of active safety technologies including blind spot warning, lane departure warning, autonomous emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert and intelligent driver alert.

Also mirroring its regular stablemates, the Qashqai Midnight Edition is powered by a 2.0-litre aspirated petrol engine developing 106kW/200Nm, driving the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission.

Nissan Australia managing director Stephen Lester said the Midnight Edition would add some flair to the Qashqai line-up.

“Combining a bold new look with the premium features and technology synonymous with the Qashqai, the Midnight Edition is an exciting addition to our SUV family,” he said.

“Style doesn’t come without substance at Nissan, and so the Midnight Edition isn’t just equipped with a stand-out look, but with our latest safety and technology features, too.”

To the end of September, Nissan has sold 5116 examples of the Qashqai, down a significant 43.5 per cent year-on-year, but still enough for a 7.7 per cent share of the sub-$40,000 small SUV segment. 

2020 Nissan Qashqai pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs