Hi-Tech Qashqai Set To Go Hybrid

-Exclusive images preview sleek makeover for hit Nissan

-Crossover line-up to feature two new hybrid powertrains

- Steve Fowler

NISSAN’S next-generation Qashqai, due in showrooms in 2020, will feature two new hybrid systems plus a sleek design makeover, Auto Express can exclusively reveal.

However, there won’t be a pure electric version, while Nissan is also considering ditching diesel from what is currently the UK’s third best-selling car.

Full electric power will be reserved for a separate SUV model based on an all new platform. It’s likely to underpin a whole family of electric cars spanning B, C and D segments (everything from Juke to X-Trail) for Nissan and its Alliance partners Renault and Mitsubishi.

The next Qashqai, previewed by our exclusive images, will be based on a new version of the Alliance’s CMF (Common Module Family) platform architecture that can accommodate hybrid tech.

Speaking exclusively to Auto Express, Ponz Pandikuthira, vice-president of product planning for Nissan Europe, said: “We are looking at a new platform because that’s what’s best to accommodate electrified technologies.