Still in its first year of sales the Nissan QASHQAI is proving to be a runaway success both in South Africa and internationally. The overwhelming success of the QASHQAI has led to capacity expansion at both the Sunderland plant in the UK and Kyushu plant in Japan. This expansion will speed up supply to other markets including South Africa.
"Since its South African introduction in October of 2007, the Nissan QASHQAI has exceeded all expectations. Internationally Nissan has increased production of the QASHQAI to meet the growing demand, which will in turn allow us to meet the increasing interest from South African buyers," says Nathalie Lopez-Ruiz, Nissan Qashqai Product Manager.
To date nearly 2000 QASHQAI's have been sold in South Africa.
"The QASHQAI was introduced in South Africa at the end of last year, which coincided with the start of the downward trend in new vehicle sales in South Africa, however despite the difficult market conditions the QASHQAI has maintained steady numbers with a steady stream of consumer demand," explains Lopez-Ruiz. "The June 2008 figures further illustrate the impressive performance of QASHQAI with sales increasing by 10% over May 2008."
The QASHQAI has a very important role to play in the Nissan South Africa passenger line-up as a fresh alternative in the C-segment with both aesthetic and performance appeal. It reflects the no compromise attitude of consumers who are achievers, who know what they want and don't need anyone's approval.
Its impressive array of comfort and convenience features such as Bluetooth connectivity, numerous storage solutions including a 14 -litre cooled glovebox, impressive safety features that earned it a five star rating for adult protection in the acclaimed Euro NCAP safety tests and unique crossover design have won the QASHQAI both critical and customer acclaim.
The QASHQAI is currently available in three derivatives: the 1.6 Visia, 1.6 Acenta and 2.0 Acenta. The 1.6-litre engine delivers 81kW and 154Nm, while the 2.0-litre model delivers a lively 102kW with 198Nm of torque.
Initial customer feedback shows that buyers like the Qashqai for bringing something new to the market; for its strong, distinctive design which sits between a traditional hatchback style and a more robust, elevated SUV shape.
"The versatility, dynamic styling and overall value for money were the deciding factors for me," says one happy customer. "As a young family we needed a vehicle that could offer us space and economy at an affordable price but without sacrificing on styling and creature comforts. The QASHQAI exceeded our expectations in all departments."
"Nissan's product planners identified an opportunity in the market to design and develop a vehicle which provided a very dynamic design, yet maintained the elevated driving position which is popular, but not at the expense of driving enjoyment," continues Lopez-Ruiz.
South African consumers can look forwarded to a growing QASHQAI range in the future. "We will be expanding the QASHQAI model range in South Africa in the coming months giving consumers a wider variety of models to choose from," she concludes.
The Nissan QASHQAI comes with a three year / 90 000km service plan as well as a 3 year / 100 000km manufacturer warranty.
QASHQAI Facts and Figures:
- The QASHQAI was awarded the maximum five-star rating for adult occupant protection from the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP), with the highest ever recorded score for any vehicle.
- Each QASHQAI receives 4608 spot-welds in construction, administered by 298 robots.
- It takes 10.5 man hours to build a QASHQAI (including bumper moldings and painting, and axle production).
- A QASHQAI contains approximately 2750 components (depending on specification)
The name QASHQAI comes from the name of a desert dwelling nomadic tribe living near the Zagros mountains in South Western Iran. QASHQAI is the Urban Nomad.
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