2014 Nissan Qashqai – Soon to Launch in India

Nissan Qashqai is a compact crossover produced by the Japanese car manufacturer Nissan. Nissan named the Qashqai after the Qashqai semi-nomadic tribe living in mountainous Southwestern Iran. Nissan saw things very differently. They thought it should look like a 4×4 even though it was just for cities and school runs and it should be elevated, durable, modern… And so they invented the Qashqai. Qashqai has won friends all over the world. So many, in fact, that it’s totally outstripped all Nissan’s expectations and sold at twice the rate they expected. Set to go on sale in India by early 2015, the Qashqai will be available in four trim levels: Visia, Acenta, Acenta Premium and Tekna.

Exterior

The new Qashqai is 49mm longer and fractionally lower and wider, giving it a sleek, poised stance while maintaining the compact dimensions and raised driving position.  The new car features crisper lines, bolder detailing, LED daytime running lights, panoramic roof, front fog lamps, electrically-adjustable door mirrors, and 16-inch wheels. It’s actually quite a smart-looking car; good shape, neat detailing, just-right proportions. Strong shoulders, bulging wheel arches and a cambering roofline come together to create a sleek, dynamic style.

Nissan-Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai is built on Nissan’s new “C” platform, which provides high body stiffness with extensive use of high-strength steel utilized to reduce body weight. All-round visibility is good, with the only exception targeting the areas around the A and D-pillars, which we would have preferred in thicker form.

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Nissan also thought their new car had to be edgy, challenging and modern – design speaks for coyote ugly. But still, there’s a sense of added athletic substance this time around with a shape that is longer, lower and wider than before, while still retaining enough carry through cues to remind that it’s a new generation of the family rather than a fresh start.

Interior

Qashqai’s interior combine’s innovative technologies with common sense solutions to everyday challenges. The car’s numerous comfort, convenience and safety systems have been analyzed and redesigned to give the driver easy access to all key controls. Drivers are able to perfectly tailor to their needs – from switching on three-flash indicators to adjusting how early the auto headlights switch on, through intuitive single interface. Cabin space and flexibility are good, with ample rear passenger space and versatile rear cargo bay.

Nissan-Qashqai

Graphite leather Seats are designed by using advanced medical scanning techniques that are inspired by NASA to analyze pressure and blood flow in the lower back of seated passengers. The New Nissan Qashqai’s jack knife key is as sophisticated as the car itself. Clever technology on board the new Qashqai makes driving stress-free. The NissanConnect system integrates with your Smartphone and provides a range of infotainment features via its seven-inch, high-resolution screen. Intelligent park assist measures potential parking spaces for you, and maneuvers your car into a space when it finds one that fits. In addition the e-PKB electronic handbrake avoids the stiffness of other handbrakes, allowing you to park your Qashqai safely and easily. Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a reversing camera, cruise control, push button start, heated front seats and dual zone climate control introduce above base specification.

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Engine & Performance

The new DIG-T 163 engine in the Nissan Qashqai features advanced turbocharging technology and a host of additional features designed to maximize performance and economy. The new unit develops 163PS (120kW) of power at 5,600rpm and 240Nm of torque between 2,000 and 4,000rpm. These impressive figures highlight Nissan’s downsizing philosophy and prove that you don’t need a large capacity to deliver strong acceleration and in-gear flexibility. Nissan will be offering the DIG-T 163 engine exclusively with a six-speed manual gearbox channeling the power to the front wheels. The Qashqai equipped with this motor will do the 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 9.1 seconds and reach a top speed of 124 mph (200 km/h).

All four models (Visia, Acenta, Acenta Premium and Tekna) will offer stop/start as standard while all-wheel drive will be offered only with the 1.6-litre diesel engine variant. The latter will also be available with a CVT automatic gearbox that drives the front wheels. It gives other city-sized SUVs something to think about, too, with a low 4.9L/100km fuel-economy rating.

Handling & Safety

Nissan’s Safety Shield technologies now incorporate Front Collision Avoidance, Driver Attention Support and Traffic Sign Recognition along with several other vital driver aids, while Intelligent Park Assist takes the stress out of urban maneuvers. The car has a built-in-radar system that gives an audible warning, alerting the driver if the gap to the car in front is closing. If the driver does not react, the brakes are automatically partially applied and then if the gap is still closing, the brakes will be applied fully to bring the car to a complete stop if necessary.

The all new Nissan Qashqai has also received a maximum five-star rating from the independent vehicle safety organisation Euro NCAP. List of safety kit includes Traffic Sign Recognition, Blind Spot Monitoring, and High Beam Assist besides ABS, six airbags, auto-dimming rear vision mirror and rain-sensing wipers, moving-object detection, lane-departure warnings.

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Aerodynamics

Nissan’s Safety Shield technologies now incorporate Front Collision Avoidance, Driver Attention Support and Traffic Sign Recognition along with several other vital driver aids, while Intelligent Park Assist takes the stress out of urban maneuvers. The car has a built-in-radar system that gives an audible warning, alerting the driver if the gap to the car in front is closing. If the driver does not react, the brakes are automatically partially applied and then if the gap is still closing, the brakes will be applied fully to bring the car to a complete stop if necessary.

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An Aerospace engineer by profession, Bob has a deep passion for automobiles. He started blogging on automotive stuffs since 2010 and still has the same drive for the automobiles. Feel free to contact him using the "Contact Us" form.Add Bob on FB