Next-Generation Nissan Qashqai (almost) revealed.. (w/Infographic)

Yesterday, Nissan began teasing its all-new second-generation Qashqai which will be revealed in a little under 9 days.. and counting.

Love them or loathe them, nobody can deny it’s been a great success for Nissan, with a little over 2 million cars sold since the Qashqai was launched in 2007.

Nissan say they defined the Crossover – a mix between an estate and hatchback with the driving height of an SUV, but of course they didn’t – what they did was make it successful, which up until the Qashqai no other car maker had managed.

Who can forget the Mercedes-Benz R-Class? (Mercedes are probably trying to) – arguably a far more interesting car (inside) than the ML, but which sells a fraction of the numbers achieved by its SUV sibling.

Full-size crossovers such as the R-Class and Mazda CX-9 didn’t really take off with customers whose perceived status is more important than cabin space – besides 7-seat crossovers veer uncomfortably close to becoming MPVs, which have never managed to look cool.

Before the Qashqai, Nissan made the Almera, an unremarkable small family car which competed against the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra. The Qashqai was a little bigger, a little more versatile and ended up replacing both Almera and the larger (Mondeo-sized) Primera.

Nissan say they simply listened to their customers and clearly the results show they were spot on with their response.

The rest as they say is history. During the past few years the Qashqai has thrived in the UK, becoming the 5th bestselling car at its peak, although it dropped to 9th in last-month’s September sales figures. It spawned a larger 7-seat Qashqai+2 and the less practical Juke, and in so doing exceeded Nissan’s original sales target of 100,000 cars per year.

The all-new Qashqai is claimed to “push the boundaries of design and innovation even further” with “sector-first technologies” and “fresh thinking in every area.”

It’s now the most important car in Nissan’s range, in fact in the company’s modern history, so they’d better not mess it up. No pressure then.

The next generation Qashqai will be unveiled on November 7th at 2:00pm.

Video

The second-generation Qashqai has been tested around the world and in all weather conditions. Nissan hopes to rewrite the crossover rulebook with its new car, setting benchmarks for active safety, driver comfort and refinement.