TOKYO MOTOR SHOW: Nissan teases new Qashqai

Nissan has released the first image of its all-new Qashqai, which will replace the Dualis – one of Australia’s top-selling compact SUVs – by mid-2014.

Draped under a cover in this single teaser image, the next Qashqai will be revealed in 10 days – two weeks before its world debut at the Tokyo motor show on November 20.

No firm details of the second-generation Qashqai, a name Nissan confirmed two weeks ago will be used in Australia for the new model, have been revealed.

However, the Japanese brand has described it as “the most significant car in its modern history” and claims it “will redefine the crossover sector and set new standards across the board”.

“Reinvented from the ground up, the new Qashqai pushes the boundaries of design and innovation – ushering in sector-first technologies and introducing fresh thinking in every area.

“From advanced aerodynamics to state of the art cabin infotainment systems, the new Qashqai represents Nissan at its most creative.

“The new Qashqai takes on the spirit of the ground-breaking original and amplifies the core qualities that have endeared it to over two million drivers around the world.”

The successor for the Dualis, which is currently Australia’s second best selling small SUV, will be based on the same all-new platform as the next-generation X-TRAIL, which will beat the Qashqai to market here in the second quarter of next year.

As Nissan Australia announced two weeks ago, the Qashqai will become the fifth SUV on offer from the brand here, following the upmarket new Patrol full-sizer, all-new JUKE compact released last week, the redesigned Pathfinder large SUV to be launched in November and the new X-TRAIL mid-sizer.

Nissan’s new model avalanche will also include the all-new Altima medium sedan by the end of this year, as well as the Pulsar SSS sedan and Pathfinder Supercharged Hybrid in the first half of next year.

Nissan has confirmed the X-TRAIL and Qashqai will undergo somewhat of a role reversal, with the Dualis replacement to offer only five seats and the new X-TRAIL to come with the option of seven.

The MkII Dualis/Qashqai has been spied in testing, revealing it will wear a sharper five-door bodyshell than before.

Along with a pointier nose and more heavily sloping rear-end than the boxier X-TRAIL, it will feature a more stylised version of the new corporate grille design previewed by the Hi-Cross concept that debuted at the 2012 Geneva motor show.

Both models will be based on the Renault Nissan group’s new low-cost Common Module Family (CMF), which will underpin more than 1.6 million vehicles per annum, covering 14 models (three from Nissan and 11 from Renault, including the new Koleos) built in 10 different countries.

The company hopes the new platform will slash production costs on some models by up to 40 per cent, while front- and all-wheel drive versions are again expected.

Engine choices are expected to continue to include (new direct-injection) 2.0-litre petrol and 1.6-litre turbo-diesel options, plus a new supercharged 1.2-litre petrol engine.

If the 2.0-litre petrol-electric drivetrain in the Hi-Cross is any guide, there will also be a plug-in hybrid version of the new Qashqai, which will replace the Dualis that first appeared here in 2007 before being facelifted in 2010.

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