Nissan Qashqai named Best Small SUV at What Car? Awards for third year in a row
- Nissan Qashqai scores an awards hat trick as What Car?'s Best Small SUV for third year running
- The British-built Qashqai was praised for its impressive refinement, efficiency and practicality
For the third year in a row, Nissan’s Qashqai has triumphed in the Best Small SUV category at the prestigious What Car? Awards.
At the annual ceremony in London, the Qashqai was not only named ‘Best Buy’ in the £15,000-£25,000 price point, but it also went on to be crowned overall winner in the ‘Small SUV’ category, beating sixteen other shortlisted models.
What Car?’s pick of the Qashqai line-up was the 1.5dCi 110 n-tec with the judges praising the model’s efficiency and economy, refined diesel power plant, smooth suspension and interior quality as well as generous equipment levels.
Jim Holder, Editorial Director for Haymarket, which publishes What Car?, said; “The Qashqai makes it a hat trick with yet another win in this hotly contested category. Despite strong opposition, the SUV from Sunderland possesses all the necessary talents for victory.
Not only is it one of the most economical and least-polluting vehicles in this category, it also has a high-quality interior that keeps wind, engine and road noise at bay.
Excellent practicality, a chassis that is well suited to British roads and impressive engine refinement are the icing on the cake.”
James Wright, Managing Director, Nissan Motor GB, said; “We’re delighted that the Qashqai’s charm has won over the What Car? judges yet again. It’s also a winner with the car buying public who have made the Nissan Qashqai the best-selling crossover in the UK.”
A real success story for Nissan, in September 2015 the new Qashqai became the fastest ever UK-built vehicle to smash the half million production mark. Since production began in 2014, a new Qashqai has been built every 62 seconds, or 58 per hour, at the Sunderland plant’s Line 1.
The Qashqai's impressive quality, styling and technology continue to make it the best-selling crossover in Europe.
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Notes to Editors
About Nissan in the UK
- Nissan Sunderland Plant produces the Nissan Qashqai, Note and Juke 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 eight million units with 80 per cent of production exported to 100 markets worldwide
- Total investment made and announced since then is over £3.5 billion
- 500,238 units were produced at Sunderland plant in 2014
- In 2014, one in three cars built in the UK was a Nissan.
- Sunderland Plant currently employs more than 6,700 people
- Nissan's European Design Centre is located in Paddington, London and employs around 65 people
- Nissan's European Technical Centre is based in Cranfield, Bedfordshire and employs around 1,000 people
- Nissan’s sales and marketing headquarters in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire employs around 190 people
About Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,600 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last financial year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 675,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, small cars, SUVs, commercial vehicles and electric vehicles, including the Nissan LEAF, the world’s most popular electric vehicle with 96% of customers willing to recommend the car to friends. Nissan now offers a strong line-up of 23 diverse and innovative models in Europe under the Nissan and Datsun brands.
About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 247,500 employees globally, Nissan sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal year 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and best-selling EV in history.
