First glimpse of the all-new Nissan Qashqai

Nissan has released the first official spy shots of a camouflaged third-generation Nissan Qashqai undergoing testing.

The compact crossover that changed the face of the European car market when it was originally launched in 2006, and spawned many imitators, has been a huge sales success. To date, more than three million Qashqais have been sold in Europe – and five million-plus globally.

Nissan has also confirmed that the next-gen Qashqai will be built at the firm’s giant Sunderland plant, which also makes the Juke and 100% electric Leaf models.

Arriving in Spring 2021, the new Qashqai will be 35mm longer than the outgoing version, increasing rear legroom and boot space, while the doors, front wings and bonnet will be built from aluminium, so the body will be 60kg lighter and 41% stiffer than before.

Like many other manufacturers, Nissan has ditched diesel and the new car will be available with a 1.3-litre petrol engine (with two power outputs and 12-volt mild hybrid assistance), plus an innovative e‑POWER version.

The e-POWER system uses a small petrol engine to charge a battery, which then powers an electric motor which drives the front wheels.