The Nissan Qashqai is something of an old hand in the crossover market, with more than 2-million sold since it first debuted in 2007. After a few teasers, the all-new Nissan Qashqai has been revealed ahead of its Tokyo Motor Show unveiling and before it goes on sale in January 2014.
The new Qashqai is based on the new CMF (Common Module Family) Renault-Nissan Alliance platform, bringing engineering efficiencies to the consumer. Designed and engineered in Europe, the new Qashqai has been created by Nissan Design Europe (London) and Nissan Technical Centre Europe (Cranfield and Barcelona), and it will be built in Sunderland, U.K. While front-wheel drive variants will account for the majority of sales in most markets, but four-wheel drive ALL-MODE 4×4-i versions will also be available.
The new Nissan Qashqai is 49 mm longer than the current model and fractionally lower and wider. Nissan’s ‘Safety Shield’ technologies now incorporate Front Collision Avoidance, Driver Attention Support, Traffic Sign Recognition and Intelligent Park Assist to make premium technology more accessible. The New NissanConnect system will be a first for the company. Now with a seven-inch touchscreen, NissanConnect offers Smartphone connectivity with a range of apps covering music, social networking and entertainment. There is an additional display within the instrument panel. It incorporates twelve graphic displays accessible on rotation.
The second-generation Nissan Qashqai is 20 mm wider, 49 mm longer and 15 mm lower than the current car. Yet despite this reduction in height, front and rear headroom levels have actually increased by 10 mm and the raised driving position remains. All models feature LED daytime running lights, certain versions are equipped with even more sophisticated technology, with full LED power for both dip and main beam. The lights also display Nissan’s unique LED lighting signature that sweeps up dramatically from the centre of the car.
Nissan say their new Qashqai also cuts through the air with an enhanced aerodynamic profile of 0.32 Cd. The Nissan Qashqai achieves this through the use of an Active Grille Shutter system. The grille shutter automatically shuts at speeds over 30 km/h and only opens if sensors detect that the engine needs cooling.
Engine wise, the 1.2-litre DIG-T with is an Alliance-developed engine tuned specifically by Nissan for the new Qashqai. Driving through a six-speed manual transmission, this advanced turbocharged engine delivers 85 kW and generates 190 Nm of torque. It emits 129 g/km of CO2 (15 g/km less than the outgoing 1.6-litre petrol unit), and has a fuel consumption figure of 5.6 L/100 km (0.6 L/100 km improvement over the outgoing 1.6-litre).
Then you get the 1.6-litre DIG-T with 110 kW and 240 Nm of torque. Fuel consumption is an identical 5.6 L/100 km, while CO2 emissions are 132 g/km. The diesel model is a 1.5-litre dCi with 81 kW and it is the cleanest and most fuel-efficient engine ever offered in a Qashqai with CO2 emissions of just 99 g/km. Thanks to a substantial re-engineering programme, the 1.5-litre dCi engine offers 20 Nm increase in torque and the 1.5-litre dCi sets a new standards in the crossover sector with a combined fuel consumption figure of just 3.8 L/100km.
