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Built on an all-new platform, the Nissan Qashqai went on sale in Feb 07, and Nissan targeted more than 100,000 sales per year. Nissan said the car, named after the nomadic Nissan Qashqai tribe in Iran, would cater to those buyers who want a more dynamic design, but are not attracted to the large, aggressive nature of a sport utility vehicle.
The car slots below the X-Trail in the Nissan range and partially replaces the conventional Primera (still produced at the Sunderland in the North East of England plant for export markets, but no longer sold in the UK), even though it took the production place of the smaller Almera. In terms of size, its 4,310 millimetres (169.7 in) length and 1,610 millimetres (63.4 in) height make it fall between compact MPVs, such as the SEAT Altea and Renault Scénic; and compact SUVs like the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and Mitsubishi Outlander.
The top half of Qashqai has a sleek dynamic form with a distinctive shoulder line which rises at the rear — a design cue similar to that of the Nissan Murano. The lower portion resembles an SUV due to large, pronounced wheel arches and a slightly elevated ground clearance. The all-new Qashqai uses the exact same platform as the X-Trail (the vehicle the Qashqai is based on), but will not be as functional or as off-road capable as the latter. Nissan is planning the Qashqai to rival such cars the Toyota RAV-4 and the Honda CR-V. The Qashqai utilizes a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine delivering 103 kW (138 hp) power and 196 N·m (145 lb·ft) torque. It is equipped with an AWD/4WD system and received a five star Euro NCAP safety rating.
Four engine choices are available: the petrol engines will be a 114 PS (84 kW; 112 bhp) 1.6 L and a 141 PS (104 kW; 139 bhp) 2.0 L, while the 106 PS (78 kW; 105 bhp) 1.5 L and 150 PS (110 kW; 148 bhp) 2.0 L will be the Diesel engines.
In May 07, the Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) awarded the Qashqai its best ever adult occupant score.
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