GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: 2017 Nissan QASHQAI breaks cover

Nissan unveiled its facelifted QASHQAI small SUV at the 2017 Geneva motor show in Switzerland, revealing a modern, angular take on the five-seat crossover.

Coming to Australia in late 2017, the car is also the first Nissan vehicle to premiere the company's new ProPilot semi-automated driving aids, which can accelerate, brake and steer the vehicle without driver intervention in certain situations.

Nissan says the system works only on single lanes on highways but "will provide consumers with more control of their vehicle and a more confident drive, plus greater freedom when they want it, whether during heavy traffic congestion or high-speed cruising."

As the best-selling vehicle in its class in Europe, the updated Nissan QASHQAI will be crucial to keeping Japanese car maker's bottom line healthy. As well as the new technology a fresh new look is designed to add buyer appeal.

The adoption of Nissan's V-motion corporate grille and a heavily revised front end design and bonnet gives the car a significantly different appearance. New-look headlight clusters that can be optioned with adaptive LED beams contribute to the new visage too.

Two new colours are available, Vivid Blue and Chestnut Bronze.

Nissan has updated the rear end of the car with new brake light designs and the company is attempting to push the model into a premium space via a new flagship Tekna+ model variant that adds "soft nappa leather, with luxurious 3D quilting on the centre panels" says to the car maker.

Inside, the car features an updated dashboard design and infotainment system, NissanConnect, and a "D-shaped multi-function steering wheel with premium satin-chrome inserts".

Digital radio is part of the package, along with satellite navigation and a seven-speaker Bose stereo can be optioned in Europe.

Tweaks to the cars steering, damping and suspension systems are claimed to deliver a more refined ride quality, while upgrades to the cars autonomous emergency braking (AEB) are designed to improve safety.

Nissan Australia says the new model will be here by early 2018, after European deliveries begin in July 2017.

The QASHQAI was the fourth most popular small SUV in Australia in 2016, a strong-selling model with 12,259 sales. It was just outsold behind the Honda HR-V (12,403) while the Mitsubishi ASX (18,126) and Mazda CX-3 (18,334) duked it out for the top two spots.

Nissan has sold a total of 2.3 million QASHQAI's since its inception in 2007, making it Europe's best-selling crossover, and Ponz Pandikuthira, Nissan Europe's VP of product planning, said the upgrades ProPilot tech was a significant step forward.

"The technology of this car has been significantly upgraded, and it's only a matter of time before they do that in Australia, with autonomous drive, that's the biggest breakthrough," he told motoring.com.au.

"Autonomous driving is a series of aids that we stack one on top of the other. The cameras, the sensors, they're part of the parking system, they're part of the round view monitor, they're part of the lane keep assist. It's not like one module is autonomous."

Pandikuthira said there wouldn't be a seven-seat version of the QASHQAI.