In February 2017, 10 years have passed since the sales of the car that created the crossover category began: the Nissan QASHQAI!
A decade ago, there was no vehicle that successfully combined the practicality and design of an SUV with the size, performance and dynamics of a hatchback.
The innovative design of the QASHQAI was established in 2002, during the development process for what was originally intended to be the new Nissan Almera. However, the creative team decided to go back to the drawing board and create a car that truly reflected what buyers were looking for at the time, and that 'articulated' Nissan's brand promise : Innovation & Excitement for all.
The first generation of the Nissan QASHQAI became commercially available in February 2007, sealing the model's success from the start. Almost 100,000 cars were sold across Europe before the end of that year, with Nissan being fully vindicated for its boldness and innovation.
In the 10 years of the QASHQAI, more than 2.3 million cars have been sold in Europe, making it the best-selling crossover on the Old Continent. The QASHQAI has won more than 80 awards, including 19 as "Car of the Year".
Paul Willcox, President of Nissan Europe, said: "When the QASHQAI was launched in 2007, it was the only one on the market. The reason it has remained the number one crossover is because it has stayed true to its original ideals, and because we have innovated by constantly adding technology to the car."
This process of continuous improvement of the QASHQAI is perfectly illustrated by the addition of the Around View Monitor, Nissan's acclaimed parking system with 360° panoramic camera imaging. This innovative system was added to the QASHQAI in 2010, when the car received numerous mid-life improvements. Similarly, Intelligent Park Assist was incorporated in 2014 with the launch of the second-generation QASHQAI.
Nissan's pioneering spirit has undoubtedly changed the European car market. In the decade since the QASHQAI began its successful run, the C-crossover segment has been steadily gaining ground in Europe's sales. Almost all the major car brands have now created a rival for the QASHQAI, with the direct competitors now approaching 21 models. However, the 'inventor' of the category, the Nissan QASHQAI, still remains the number one model in it.
In 2016 Nissan sold 261,429 QASHQAI in Europe (including Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan). This is a market share of 10%, and represents an increase of 5.2%, compared to the previous 12 months.
The success has spread beyond Europe, with global sales of the Nissan QASHQAI reaching 3.3 million cars in 137 countries around the world.
In Greece, the Nissan QASHQAI is breaking one sales record after another, winning the first place in the C-Class sales in 2016.
