FOLLOWING the introduction of the innovative e-POWER powertrain on the Qashqai last year, Nissan has developed a special version of its third generation crossover to give the vehicle a new look.

The Qashqai Kuro Edition is priced from £36,945 and it's based on the N-Connecta grade but also includes e-POWER, glass roof pack, 18-inch black gloss alloy wheels, Illuminated kicking-plates and a wireless charging pad.

The Kuro comes in three two-tone paint combinations - a black roof with either a Storm White or Ceramic Grey body, or a grey roof with a Pearl Black body.

And optional ‘Tech Assist Pack' can be added for £1,030 which includes a full range of advanced safety features including head-up display, full LED lights and adaptive driving beams.

Nissan's ProPILOT Assist with Navi-Link is also included which helps maintains the vehicle's position in the lane, keeps a safe distance from the car in front and utilizes the vehicle's TomTom system to anticipate changes to the road and speed limit.

"Customers are responding incredibly well to Qashqai e-POWER, they are enjoying the smoothness of the electric drive and the convenience of a petrol engine which recharges the battery on the go. Qashqai Kuro Edition with e-POWER is delivering a stylish and eye catching special version to an already efficient and comfortable drive" said Nic Thomas, marketing director for Nissan GB.

Designed, engineered and built in Britain, the Qashqai was the first crossover on the market in 2007 and today it is a pillar of the medium SUV segment.

At the heart of the new Qashqai's is the e-POWER system which drives the wheels purely by electricity using a petrol engine as a generator.

The Qashqai's e-POWER system was developed to deliver the responsive, effortless, smooth, and quiet driving experience reminiscent of a pure EV, but without the need to plug in to recharge.

The powertrain has an official CO2 output of 120g/km and a fuel economy rating of 53.3mpg.

A variable compression ratio 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbocharged 156 hp petrol engine generates electricity, which is then transmitted via the inverter to feed the high-output battery pack, drive the electric motor - or both simultaneously, according to the driving scenario.