New Delhi: Almost 18 years in the past the primary Nissan Qashqai rolled off the manufacturing line in Sunderland, UK, creating the crossover phase and sending shockwaves across the automotive world.
Quick ahead to 2024, and with greater than 4 million clients in additional than 100 international locations, the fastest-selling automobile ever within the UK automobile trade has been upgraded as soon as extra – with a daring design and vital know-how updates to boost the client expertise.
The brand new Qashqai, electrified with Nissan’s distinctive e-POWER system, is now in manufacturing at its house in Sunderland forward of its arrival within the coming weeks to Nissan sellers throughout Europe and past. The most recent upgrades required a recent GBP 30 million funding within the plant, constructing on Nissan’s whole funding within the UK of GBP6 billion.
The refreshed Qashqai arrives as Nissan continues to develop its EV36Zero imaginative and prescient in Sunderland, a blueprint for the way forward for automotive manufacturing, bringing collectively electrical car manufacturing and battery manufacturing, powered by renewables.
Adam Pennick, Nissan’s Vice President for Manufacturing within the UK, mentioned, “We’re so proud to name Sunderland plant the house of the Qashqai. Having the primary staff behind the primary crossover is a successful formulation, and we are able to’t wait to see how a lot our clients take pleasure in the brand new design and further tech.”
Designed, engineered and in-built Britain, the primary Qashqai was produced in Sunderland in direction of the top of 2006, forward of its launch in 2007. Its prompt recognition noticed manufacturing in Sunderland attain report ranges, with the plant recording the best annual volumes within the historical past of the UK automobile trade, and Qashqai turning into the quickest UK-built automobile to attain 1 million, 2 million, 3 million after which 4 million manufacturing items, spawning greater than 20 opponents within the course of.
Sunderland Plant can be house to the Nissan JUKE and all-electric Nissan LEAF, the place manufacturing helps 7,000 jobs in Nissan’s UK groups. That features Nissan’s Design Centre in Paddington, London, the Technical Centre in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, the manufacturing staff in Sunderland, components centre in Lutterworth and gross sales and advertising staff in Rickmansworth, in addition to an extra 30,000 jobs within the UK provide chain.
Because the third-generation Qashqai was launched in 2021, it has offered greater than 350,000 items in Europe and continues to set the usual for crossovers. In 2022 Qashqai grew to become accessible with e-POWER – Nissan’s distinctive and progressive electrified powertrain the place the wheels are solely ever pushed instantly by the electrical motor – creating an EV- drive sensation. Greater than 120,000 Sunderland-built Qashqais with e-POWER at the moment are on the roads.
The most recent modifications maintain the essence of what shoppers love concerning the Qashqai, whereas enhancing its strengths and including much more intuitive and handy know-how.
Modifications have been made throughout Sunderland plant to allow manufacturing of the 2024 Qashqai, with funding in amenities for brand new panels, bumpers, paint colors, inside options, supplies and trim. New Qashqai’s upgraded know-how is now additionally built-in into the manufacturing course of – together with up to date superior driver help techniques and the addition of Google built-in as a part of the NissanConnect infotainment system, which makes a near-seamless interplay between a buyer’s digital life and their car.
Pennick added, “These are thrilling occasions for Nissan in Sunderland. We’re proud to be delivering new variations of each Qashqai and Juke to our clients whereas additionally getting ready our plant to go all electrical, as a part of our ground-breaking EV36Zero challenge.”
Nissan EV36Zero, the corporate’s blueprint for the way forward for automotive, combines EV and battery manufacturing with renewables, with a objective of zero emissions driving and nil emissions manufacturing. The EV36Zero mannequin will turn out to be a blueprint for the long run for crops throughout Nissan’s international manufacturing footprint as a part of The Arc, Nissan’s new international marketing strategy.
The EV36Zero challenge additionally places Sunderland plant on the coronary heart of Nissan’s drive to a sustainable future. Already confirmed for manufacturing in Sunderland are future all-electric variations of Qashqai, JUKE and LEAF, a part of plans for Nissan’s passenger automobile line-up in Europe to be 100% electrical by 2030. It additionally builds on Nissan’s Ambition 2030 imaginative and prescient to turn out to be a very sustainable firm, driving in direction of a cleaner, safer, and extra inclusive world.
UK pricing: Nissan GB has additionally introduced pricing for the brand new mannequin, which can begin from GBP 30,135 and is accessible with a light hybrid petrol engine or Nissan’s distinctive e-POWER know-how.
E-Energy makes use of a pure electrical motor with direct drive to the wheels to ship prompt, excessive torque and linear response. It presents drivers the feeling of driving an EV with out having to consider charging – a super stepping-stone for patrons who aren’t fairly able to make the swap to 100% EV but.
All fashions characteristic vital inside and exterior design modifications, together with a much bigger 12.3” infotainment display and uplifts to inside supplies high quality. Google Automotive Providers and upgraded Round View Monitor know-how are additionally added to most fashions, along with enhanced exterior lighting and up to date alloy wheel choices.
One other new addition to the Qashqai line-up is the N-Design grade (from GBP 34,845) that includes daring design upgrades and distinctive aesthetic touches. On the outside, the decrease physique portion beneath the doorways and the wheel arches are body-coloured on N-Design. There are additionally distinctive, all-new 20″ alloy wheels which carry added on-road presence.
The refreshed Qashqai can be the primary car in Nissan’s European vary with the suite of Google built-in, which makes a near-seamless interplay between a buyer’s digital life and their car.
The up to date Qashqai is accessible with Google Maps and, as soon as signed-in, with a private Google Account drivers can entry their favorite places and factors of curiosity. This reduces the dependence on a cell phone and cellular telephone community. Over the air updates make sure the map data is at all times present.
Some of the generally used options on the Qashqai – Round View Monitor – has been considerably upgraded and now incorporates a 3D perform which permits the driving force to see the automobile not solely from above but in addition from one in every of eight totally different exterior digicam viewpoints. This helps the driving force visualise the automobile from the entrance, rear, sides or corners to doubtlessly determine any unseen exterior hazards.
Moreover, a characteristic often called “invisible hood view” permits the driving force to see the place of the entrance wheels as if wanting by way of the dashboard and engine bay, serving to drivers to exactly manoeuvre in tight places, equivalent to multi-story automobile parks the place there are concrete curbs which might harm a wheel. This view makes use of machine studying to create the picture based mostly on what the entrance digicam can see in entrance, with the wheels super-imposed into the view to present a way of perspective.
Diana Torres, managing director of Nissan GB, mentioned, “The unique Qashqai pioneered the crossover car class that’s so well-liked with clients at the moment and, over the past 18 years, it has turn out to be a vastly profitable icon of the UK motoring trade.
“Its distinctive mixture of design, efficiency and know-how guarantee it stays forward of rivals and these newest upgrades will reinforce its place as one of many nation’s favorite new vehicles to purchase.”