UK – The improvements to the model cover four areas: exterior design, interior quality, driving performance and the addition of intelligent mobility technologies. The new Qashqai will also be available with ProPILOT autonomous driving capability.
The manufacture of the refreshed model, an upgrade on the second generation which was launched in 2014, follows a £53m ($69.3m) investment in Sunderland, including the capacity to build it on both lines. The Qashqai, which originally went on sale in 2007, is exported to more than 100 global markets and is Nissan’s most successful model ever in Europe. The European sales launch of the refreshed model will take place next month.
“In the decade since Qashqai launched we have built more than 2.8m in Sunderland, taking plant output to record levels,” said Colin Lawther, senior vice-president for Manufacturing, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management for Nissan in Europe. “Offering new premium design features and Nissan Intelligent Mobility technologies, this new model marks a new chapter for Qashqai and for our manufacturing operations.”
In addition to the Qashqai, Nissan Sunderland makes the all-electric Leaf and the Juke crossover, plus the Infiniti Q30 and QX30 premium vehicles; production last year totalled 507,436 units. In October 2016, Nissan announced that Sunderland will also manufacture the third-generation Qashqai.