Nissan on Tuesday revealed its Qazana crossover concept at the Geneva Motor. Nissan says the five-door crossover will lead to a production model in relatively short order, with assembly beginning in early 2010. Nissan has described the car as a “baby brother” to the Qashqai compact SUV.
“Qazana points the way to that future and gives an indication of the unique and exciting car we will be producing,” said Trevor Mann, Nissan Senior Vice President for Manufacturing in Europe.
The design is dominated by large, wide wheel arches and a lower stance. The vehicle appears to be geared toward European and Asian markets, but that doesn’t necessarily rule out North American sales.
“The Qazana concept is an intelligent, all-wheel drive crossover which is masculine, agile, lean, and designed for the tough city streets. Our team at Nissan Design Europe in London realized this image with the motif of a modern day beach buggy and four-seat motor-bike,” said Atsushi Maeda, Studio Chief Designer, Nissan Design Europe.
According to Matt Weaver, project lead designer at NDE, Qazana was designed to be fun. “It’s a hugely optimistic car, which is no bad thing in these difficult times. Had it been created in the 1960s, it would have counted camper vans, bikes and buggies as its rivals. Infused with that same spirit, there’s nothing quite like it available today.”
Nissan plans to build the vehicle at its Sunderland plant in the United Kingdom.
03/03, 10:05 AM
posted by:
idrinorbarsaku
that is not what i was expecting it to look like!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
03/03, 10:06 AM
posted by:
idrinorbarsaku
it looks so small from the outside, but huge from the inside!
03/03, 10:59 AM
posted by:
bigjimid
wow, yeah. It has a lot of nice ideas, it just needs to come together better. IMO
03/03, 12:05 PM
posted by:
Lariat Luxury Locomotive Liner No.3
Is this the new PR vehicle for Tupperware?
03/03, 12:23 PM
posted by:
orangecones
interesting to see what they will do for a production version. if this is a model under the Qashqai (Rorgue in US market) … would be interesting indeed.
Disclaimer: I am a current Rogue driver.
03/03, 12:44 PM
posted by:
scratchy
never thought i would say this , but i like the Dacia Duster more.
03/03, 12:46 PM
posted by:
beatusmongous
I can assure you, LLLLN3, this IS microwave safe.
I like the headlights, but not the rest of the front end. I like the suicide doors, but the interior is a bit too wacky for my tastes. It’s interesting, though, that they used the same red leather that was introduced with the latest Quest. I think the windows may make it very hard to see out of. However, overall, it has a strange appeal. Those wheels are cool, in my opinion.
03/03, 1:49 PM
posted by:
Lariat Luxury Locomotive Liner No.3
I wanted this vehicle to be so much—the problem is it’s too much. Some of the items, as mentioned by others here, are terrific, but as a comprehensive package I don’t whether to drive it or use it for target practice.
03/04, 12:03 AM
posted by:
maxcar
agreed. the bits and pieces range from interesting to cool. the result is awkward looking, to say the least.
03/04, 3:03 PM
posted by:
rams
From what I gather so far from all the comments….maybe they should keep it as a concept….