It’s official - the Nissan Qashqai was the UK’s most-popular car for the year just gone, with 42,704 sales in 2022.
That’s according to new data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT).
And while Nissan is clearly a Japanese firm, the Qashqai represents a huge success story for the UK - as it was designed at Nissan Design Europe, London, engineered in the Nissan Technical Centre at Cranfield, Bedfordshire, and is built at the famous Nissan plant in Sunderland.
To celebrate the achievement, an exclusive gold-wrapped Qashqai has been created to give thanks to the 7,000 Nissan employees in the UK.
Andrew Humberstone, managing director of Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd, said:
‘‘We’re absolutely thrilled to see this car’s increasing success over the last 16 years, and it’s a fitting tribute to the skills and talents of Nissan’s excellent design, engineering, production and sales teams all around the UK.”
Runner-up in the best-selling list was the Vauxhall Corsa, followed by the Tesla Model Y, Ford Puma, and Mini hatchback.
The Qashqai’s biggest rivals - the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson - occupy 6th and 7th place in the run-down respectively.
And there’s plenty to love about the Qashqai, an SUV crossover that was heavily revamped in 2021.
Fundamentally, a Qashqai is typically relied-upon by busy families and needs to be practical. Thank heavens, then, for a huge 504 litre boot which is larger than competitors like the Volvo XC40, Ford Kuga or Renault Kadjar.
The Qashqai is cheap to run, too.
The base 1.3 litre ‘DIG-T’ petrol engine is supported by mild-hybrid technology which works to boost efficiency and lower CO2 emissions. It will return around 44 miles to the gallon and can also be mated to all-wheel drive.
Meanwhile it’s the other powertrain - the ‘ePower’ - that has got everyone talking.
It’s a clever self-charging hybrid system that uses a 1.5 litre petrol engine to feed power to an electric motor, which in turn drives the wheels.
It feels like you’re driving a smooth, torquey, seamless electric vehicle, yet you never need to plug it in. And with the ePower system, you can expect fuel economy of around 53 mpg.
All Qashqais also come really well equipped as standard, bringing you rear parking sensors, intelligent cruise control and traffic sign recognition, right out of the box.
You can lease a Nissan Qashqai with Select Car Leasing from around £213 per month**.
** Prices include VAT. Credit is Subject to Status, Ts and Cs and Arrangement Fees apply. Excess mileage may apply. Stock levels and prices correct as of 05/01/23.
The UK's best selling cars of 2022, according to SMMT
- Nissan Qashqai
- Vauxhall Corsa
- Tesla Model Y
- Ford Puma
- Mini
- Kia Sportage
- Hyundai Tucson
- Volkswagen Golf
- Ford Kuga
- Ford Fiesta
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