Nissan reveals details of new segment leader Qashqai
The third-generation Nissan Qashqai will have a new platform and engine. Photos: Nissan
Nissan is preparing to launch its popular SUV, the Qashqai, and is revealing important details of the segment leader.
Prototypes of the third generation model are racking up the testing kilometres on European roads with the compact crossover going on sale in 2021.
The Qashqai has successfully dominated the crossover segment, with more than three million examples of the first two generations sold across Europe and five million globally.
The all-new Qashqai will build on its position as the pioneer of and benchmark in the medium-crossover segment in Europe since 2007. Underpinning the new Qashqai is the new Alliance CMF-C platform, a showcase of advanced engineering, innovation and advanced technology.
“The new Qashqai is going to change what customers can expect from a family car. Comfort, refinement and technology will be from higher categories of car, while the driving experience will satisfy drivers and passengers alike,” said Gianluca de Ficchy, Chairman, Nissan Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania (AMIEO) Region.
The compact crossover was introduced in 2007 and created a new segment.
Like its predecessors, the styling of the new Qashqai was led by the team at Nissan Design Europe, based in central London, while its engineering was led by Nissan Technical Centre Europe, situated in Cranfield, Bedfordshire.
The new car is bigger than today’s, but not significantly so to ensure that it remains a C-segment model. It’s 35mm longer, with 20mm of that length added to the wheelbase and the rest in the front overhang. It’s also 32mm wider and, unusually, 25mm taller thanks in part to an increase in the Qashqai’s ride height. The boot is 50 litres larger than the outgoing model.
The use of Nissan’s Ultra High Strength Steel application (UHSS) has increased by 50 per cent in the structure of the new Qashqai (pronounced ‘cash kai’). The UHSS material ensures the highest possible tensile strength in the body structure where it is needed, as part of the crash structure, for example – but without a significant weight penalty.
The standard engine choice is a 1.3-litre turbo petrol incorporating a 12V mild-hybrid system and the new Qashqai will be equipped with the next generation of ProPILOT driver assistance,
In 2007, when the Qashqai was introduced there was nothing else like it on the road. Its seating position was a little higher, allowing a better view down the road, but its overall footprint was the same as its C-segment hatchback peers. Its petrol and diesel engine options were frugal and efficient, but there was an all-wheel drive version
Year to date,1424 Qashqai crossovers have been sold in New Zealand with 2592 sold in 2019.
The Qashqai was designed in the UK and is a top seller in Europe.
