Nissan is busy baking the third-generation Qashqai crossover, scheduled to debut in spring 2021. The prototypes are currently racking up the test kilometres on European roads.
Lighter and stiffer
The new Qashqai is built on the CMF-C platform — same as the 2021 Rogue we saw in June. As for the construction, the tailgate is now made of a composite material, saving 2.6 kg (5.7 lbs), while the front and rear doors, front fenders and hood, are all now made of aluminium, which all together save 21 kg (46.3 lbs) over the outgoing Qashqai’s body in white. Also, the use of Ultra High Strength Steel (UHSS) has gone up by 50%. Nissan claims that the overall body in white is lighter by 60 kg (132 lbs) and 41% stiffer than the outgoing model.
Thanks to the CMF-C platform, the new Qashqai has an updated MacPherson strut setup at the front and rear. However, the FWD variants with 19-inch wheels will get a torsion beam configuration for the rear, while the Qashqai with 20-inch wheels and AWD variants will get an advanced multi-link setup at the rear.
Like its predecessors, the styling of the new Qashqai was led by the team at Nissan Design Europe, based in central London, while its engineering was led by Nissan Technical Centre Europe, in Cranfield, Bedfordshire (UK), Nissan said. Although camouflaged, we can see that the front fascia with dual-lamp setup is pretty similar to the new Rogue.
Nissan suggests that the new Qashqai will be electrified. There’ll be a 1.3-litre petrol engine combined with a mild-hybrid system, and also a powertrain with the brand’s e-Power series-hybrid system.
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