Nissan’s Sunderland plant continues to produce around 1,200 Qashqais every day, and by the end of February 2016 the total for all versions and generations of the car stood at 2,398,134 units. No other vehicle in the history of the UK car industry has gone beyond two million units in such a short period of time.
Colin Lawther, Nissan’s Senior Vice President for Manufacturing, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management in Europe, said: “The Qashqai created an entirely new segment when it was first launched and continues to set the standard in crossovers, supporting a record period of growth for Nissan in Europe.
Styled and engineered for European customers in Nissan’s UK-based design and technical centres, the Qashqai is Nissan’s top-selling car in Europe. It’s also the best-selling crossover in Europe, requiring round-the-clock production since 2010. Today, a new Qashqai is built every 62 seconds, or 58 per hour, at the Sunderland site.
The Nissan Qashqai will also become a pioneer of Autonomous Driving. At the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month, Nissan has announced that, from next year, the Qashqai will be Nissan’s first vehicle in Europe to feature ‘Piloted Drive’ technology. In the first instance, this will allow the car to drive autonomously and safely in a single lane in heavy traffic conditions on highways.
Later in 2016, Nissan will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Sunderland facility, which now manufactures the Qashqai and Juke crossovers, the all-electric Leaf, the Note hatchback and the new Infiniti Q30 premium compact car.