Nissan may show a significant shift in emphasis with its second generation Qashqai, due for reveal in the autumn, writes Brian Byrne.
The Resonance concept (above) debuted at Detroit this year is believed to show the way to a more sexy styling that will build on the Qashqai's success as top Nissan seller in Europe.
And with the target market the compact hatch segment epitomised in Europe by VW's Golf, expect the new Qashqai to move more towards hatch from its current crossover SUV theme. Nevertheless, it will be bigger than the current Qashqai.
New powertrains are likely to include a supercharged 1.2 3-cylinder petrol engine with sub-100g/km emissions.
Qashqai is number eight in the European marketplaces overall. But Nissan has needed a compact hatch ever since the Almera was discontinued.
