The humble Nissan Qashqai may not seem like the most remarkable SUV on the market, but it has proved looks can be deceiving by setting a Guinness World Record.

Nissan’s campaign to prove the effectiveness of its e-Power hybrid system has paid off as the Qashqai set the mark for ‘the longest journey completed by a non-plug-in extended-range electric vehicle SUV without external charging or refuelling’ by clocking up 1980km.

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The SUV travelled from the Colombian capital of Bogotá to the country’s Caribbean coast, with the journey largely a downhill run that started around 2600 metres above sea level.

Nissan hasn’t released details of the route taken, nor the fuel consumption recorded, but with a 55-litre fuel tank, it should sit somewhere around 2.78L/100km. Official consumption is rated at 4.1L/100km in mixed driving, giving the Qashqai a range of 1341km from a single tank.

The Guinness World Record for the longest distance by a plug-in hybrid SUV is held by the Chinese Hongqi HS6 PHEV, covering 2327.34km across China. The longest distance covered by a non-hybrid vehicle is 2831km, set in a Skoda Superb diesel that made it from Poland to Paris and back.

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Nissan’s record attempt took place from July 14 to July 17 with Guinness verifying and publishing the mark on July 29.

“By proving that an electric-driven SUV can cover nearly 2000 kilometres without relying on external EV charging grids or mid-trip refuelling, the attempt directly addresses range anxiety for consumers in South America,” Guinness said in a promotional release.

Unlike parallel hybrids, which can use electric, petrol or combined power to drive their wheels, Nissan’s e-Power system operates as a series hybrid with the petrol engine used to charge a small on-board battery, which in turn powers the wheels via an electric motor, with no plug or external charging capability.