LONDON, UK – The category-defining Nissan Qashqai – the best-selling crossover in the UK – has been named 'Best British Built Car' at the inaugural News UK Motor Awards 2018.
The Nissan Qashqai was honoured in recognition of the model's significant contribution to the success of the British car industry since its introduction in 2007.
Nick Francis, Sun on Sunday Motoring Editor said; "The Qashqai has the legacy of being the first car to spark Europe's obsession with family SUVs ten years ago, and is still the yardstick against which all other crossovers are compared to. The fastest UK built car to reach half a million sales, it's easy to see why. The Qashqai is the jewel of the British car industry."
Refreshed in 2017 with an extensive range of updates, the Nissan Qashqai has been further enhanced in 2018 with a new line-up of efficient petrol powertrains, plus an all-new NissanConnect infotainment system.
More than 3 million Qashqai models have been produced in the UK at Nissan's Sunderland manufacturing plant since 2007. The second generation of the model, launched in 2014, became the fastest ever UK-built vehicle to pass the half million production mark in a record-breaking 21 months.
At the heart of the Qashqai's appeal for more than 10 years has been its position as the ultimate urban crossover. It successfully blends the practicality and desirability of an SUV with the footprint, driving dynamics and running costs of a hatchback.
Alex Smith, managing director, Nissan Motor GB, said: "The Qashqai is the original crossover, inventing the segment as we know it, and is the most successful model in Europe in Nissan's history. The fact that Qashqai is designed, engineered and made in the UK is something we are immensely proud of. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the News UK judges for recognising Qashqai with this outstanding award."
The News UK Awards celebrate innovation across the UK automotive industry and were judged by consumers as well as automotive journalists across News UK's four news outlets – The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun and talkSPORT.
Prices for the Qashqai fitted with the new petrol engine start from £19,595 OTR RRP for a Visia 1.3 DIG-T 140 – an unrivalled price point within the UK's C-segment hatchback and SUV markets.
To find out more about the Nissan Qashqai, visit; https://www.nissan.co.uk/vehicles/new-vehicles/qashqai.html
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About Nissan in the UK
- Nissan Sunderland Plant produces the Nissan Qashqai, Juke, Infiniti Q30 and the 100% electric Nissan LEAF
- Production of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles began in 2012
- Total plant volume since 1986 stands at more than 9 million units with 80 per cent of production exported to over 100 markets worldwide
- Total investment made and announced since then is over £4.0 billion
- 495,645 units were produced at Sunderland plant in 2017
- Employment in Nissan's UK design studio (Paddington, London), technical centre (Cranfield Bedfordshire), manufacturing plant (Sunderland, Tyne and Wear) and sales and marketing operations (Maple Cross, Hertfordshire) now totals more than 8,000.
- A further 28,000 jobs in Nissan's UK supply chain and 4,000 in its UK dealer network takes the total British jobs supported by Nissan to more than 40,000
About Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,000 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 660,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, commercial vehicles and the Nissan LEAF, the world's most popular electric vehicle. Pursuing a goal of zero emissions and zero fatalities on the road, Nissan is leading the field with its vision of Intelligent Mobility. Designed to guide Nissan's product and technology pipeline, this 360 degree approach to the future of mobility will anchor critical company decisions around how cars are powered, how cars are driven, and how cars integrate into society. Nissan is positioned to become the most desirable Asian brand in Europe.
