Qashqai makes UK statement
The Nissan Qashqai is the UK’s favourite car and the first British-built model to top the country’s annual sales charts for 24 years.
Statistics released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders confirm the SUV, which was designed in Paddington, engineered in Cranfield and is built in Sunderland, was the nation’s best-seller of 2022.
A total of 42,704 new Qashqais were driven off UK dealership forecourts last year and the figure for December alone came in at 3,506.
To celebrate the achievement, an exclusive gold-wrapped Qashqai, pictured, was created in honour of the 7,000 Nissan employees from around the country who have contributed to its success.
Andrew Humberstone, managing director of Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd, says: “This is a landmark moment for a landmark car and it’s great to see how the latest generation Qashqai has struck a chord with buyers in the UK.
“We’re thrilled to see this car’s increasing success over the past 16 years. It’s a fitting tribute to the skills and talents of Nissan’s excellent design, engineering, production and sales teams.”
Three generations of Qashqai have been on sale in the UK since it was first launched in 2007, all of which have regularly appeared on monthly best-seller lists. However, this is the first time it’s been the year’s top overall model and the first time a Nissan has headed up the annual sales chart.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen was the UK’s best-selling new-car brand for the second year running with 131,850 registrations in 2022 for a market share of 8.17 per cent.
