>>Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai
Manufacturer	Nissan
Also called	Nissan Dualis Nissan CCUV
Production	2007—present
Assembly	Sunderland, England Kyūshū, Japan
Predecessor	Nissan Almera
Class	Compact crossover SUV
Body style(s)	5-door SUV
Layout	Front engine, front-wheel drive / four-wheel drive
Platform	Nissan C platform
Engine(s)	1.6L I4
Transmission(s)	5-speed manual 6-speed automatic CVT 6-speed manual
Wheelbase	103.5 in (2629 mm)
Length	169.7 in (4310 mm)
Width	70.1 in (1781 mm)
Height	63.4 in (1610 mm)
Related	Renault Megane Nissan Sentra Nissan Rogue Nissan X-Trail

The Nissan Qashqai (Nissan Dualis in Japan and Australia, Nissan CCUV in China and Nissan Rogue in North America) is a compact crossover SUV produced by Japanese automaker Nissan since 2007. The P32L automobile platform will be also used by other oncoming Nissan crossover SUVs. The Qashqai has been built at Nissan's NMUK Sunderland plant since December 2006.

It is the first model to be styled by Nissan Design Europe in London, England, UK, with engineering development led by Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. It was globally presented at the 2006 Paris Motor Show.

The Qashqai will be exported to the Middle East and additional overseas markets.

Features

Built on an all-new platform, Nissan aims to sell more than 100,000 Qashqais a year from February 2007. Nissan said the car, named after the nomadic Qashqai tribe, will cater for those car buyers who want a more dynamic design but are not attracted to the large, aggressive nature of a sport utility vehicle. The car slots below the X-Trail in the Nissan range and partially replaces the conventional Primera and Almera. In terms of size, its 4310 mm (169.7 in) length and 1610 mm (63.4 in) height makes it fall between compact MPVs, such as the SEAT Altea and Renault Scénic, and compact SUVs like the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Mitsubishi Outlander.

The top half of Qashqai has a sleek dynamic form with a distinctive shoulder line which rises at the rear — a design cue similar to that of the Nissan Murano. The lower portion resembles a SUV due to large, pronounced wheel arches and a slightly elevated ground clearance. The all new Qashqai uses the exact same platform as the X-Trail (the vehicle the Qashqai is based on) but will not be as functional or as off road capable as it is. Nissan is planning the Qashqai to rival such cars the Toyota RAV-4 and the Honda CR-V. Due to the cheaper building cost most of the practicability of the Qashqai will be compromised compared to the X-Trail. The seats, unlike the X-Trail, can not fold all the way down and the suspension is loud and hard on some roads. The Qashqai utilizes a 2.0 litre four-cylinder engine delivering 103 kW (138 hp) power and 196 N·m (145 ft·lbf) torque. It is equipped with a AWD/4WD system and received a five start Euro NCAP safety rating.^[2]

Four engine choices can be chosen: the gasoline engines will be a 115 hp (86 kW) 1.6 L and a 140 hp (104 kW) 2.0 L, while the 106 hp (79 kW) 1.5 L and 150 hp (112 kW) 2.0 L will be the Diesel engines.

In May 2007, the Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) awarded the Qashqai its best ever adult occupant score.

North America

A stretched version is called the Nissan Rogue.

Name

The Qashqai name (pronounced 'kash-kai') comes from the originally nomadic Qashqai tribe from southwestern Iran. Nissan's designers say they believe that its buyers will be nomadic in nature too. Chinese nameplate CCUV is short for "Compact Crossover Utility Vehicle". In Australia, the Qashqai is named as the Dualis. This was chosen due to the fact that Australians may call it the "cash cow", a controversial nickname which has already appeared in some markets including the UK.