The Nissan Qashqai has been named Auto Express Car of the Past 30 Years for its revolutionary design and creating the increasingly popular crossover segment.
Steve Fowler, Editor of Auto Express, said; “The Nissan Qashqai was, and still is, a car that offered all the practicality of a conventional compact SUV, but with a footprint the same as a family car. This Nissan not so much tore up the rulebook, but sent it into oblivion. A successor to the Almera hatchback, the Qashqai ripped the SUV market wide open, creating a new segment of the market – and we’ve not looked back since.”
The Nissan Qashqai, updated in 2017, is currently the UK’s 3rd best-selling car in 2018. More than 3 million Qashqai models have been produced in the U.K. New Intelligent Driving updates include ProPILOT, Nissan’s advanced driver-assist technology and the company’s first step on the journey towards autonomous driving. ProPILOT liberates drivers from some of the more mundane elements of motoring, reducing fatigue and stress and improving safety, enhancing overall control and confidence.
Matt Weaver, Design Director, Nissan Design Europe, added; “The Qashqai is a pioneering design that created the crossover segment and has since transformed expectations of what a European family car should be. Combining the space and packaging efficiency of the traditional hatchback with the high driving position and premium looks of an SUV, Qashqai introduced fresh new thinking to the sector and captured the imagination of car buyers. Designed, engineered and built in the UK, Qashqai’s design has been so influential that the crossover is now the most popular body type in Europe.”