Nissan's Qashqai Needs Third Shift

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Undeterred by crashing European sales numbers, Nissan is forging ahead and adds – are we reading this right? – “a third shift at its British production line for sport utility vehicles, raising output 30 percent to nearly 24,000 units a month,” says The Nikkei [sub].

The Qashqai crossover SUV is made at Nissan’s Sunderland plant. You read right, they indeed call the thing Qashqai. In Japan and Australia, it is known as an easier pronounceable Dualis. We are told, the Qashqai is an itinerant tribe in Southwestern Iran (we are not making this up.) Nissan apparently wants to outdo the Touareg, which is named after an itinerant tribe in Africa. Anyway, Qashqai sounds like “cash cow,” and that’s what it is.

While the European market is crashing, Nissan’s sales in Europe surged 41.8 percent in April. The Qashqai is especially high in demand. Maybe by people who get ready to leave the continent and to join itinerant tribes.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Vassilis Vassilis on Jun 14, 2010

    Even with such a name, it has been selling at an amazing rate in Europe. Looks like a "false truck" sure, but, in such an overpopulated segment (the most competitive in Europe), it easily stands apart. Amongst Golfs, Astras, Leons, Mazda 3s, Toyota Corollas, Honda Civics etc it has gradually become a default choice for consumers. Most car journalists at launch predicted that it would... fail miserably. "It is a Nissan and it is called Qashqai, who is going to buy it?" The exact opposite happened. Truth is that it is extremely well built and handles great. Of course, the vast majority of sales are 4x2s and not 4x4 versions - who cares? Nissan hit the jackpot. Personally, I think that people (who were only buying hatchbacks in the past) buying the 4x4 prefer the "car" looks as a proper SUV "scares" them. The third shift Mr. Schmitt has to do, I imagine, with the recent facelift model - not on the photo.

  • Brandloyalty Brandloyalty on Jun 14, 2010

    How does the Qashqai relate to the Rogue? Is the Rogue only sold in North America? And is the Xtrail II the Qashqai's "big brother"?

  • TonyJZX TonyJZX on Jun 15, 2010

    this isn't a truck at all... the thing barely weighs 3,200lb in the 2wd format (which is the most popular)... it's more like a Versa that's been jacked up it has a monocoque and Nissan's faux 4wd gear so all this is really saying is that people like their jacked up hatchbacks... i must admit it makes sense to some... why buy a hatch when you can buy a quasi SUV/Crossover for similar money?

  • 2ronnies1cup 2ronnies1cup on Aug 01, 2011

    I have noticed a fair few of these odd little cars on the road recently. The strange thing is, most of them seem to be driven by elderly retired types. Maybe they are easy to climb in and out of without hurting arthritic vertebrae?

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