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Nissan Qashqai Turns 10 Years Old

Would you believe the iPhone was released in 2007? A decade since, the impact it made back then in the world of the smartphone can still be sensed. And if it weren't for the iOS operating system introduced by the first-generation Apple iPhone, Google's Android would have never taken off.
Nissan Qashqai 6 photos
Photo: Nissan
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Another appliance that saw the light of day in 2007 is the Nissan Qashqai, a compact-sized crossover that now enjoys the title of best-selling SUV in Europe. In hindsight, it was the Qashqai that set the crossover game alight. Would you believe it’s been 10 years since the Qashqai went on sale?

I’m really trying to, but it’s pretty hard when I think about it. February 2017 marks a decade since the pioneering model started rolling into dealership lots, blending the practicality of an SUV with the efficiency of a compact hatchback. Back then, the Qashqai was in a league of its own.

Even today, the Japanese automaker’s best-selling model in the Old Continent is the Qashqai. In 2016, 234,340 units were sold in this part of the world. By comparison, the Volkswagen Golf moved 492,952 copies in the same timeframe, whereas the Renault Captur managed to sell 217,105 units.

To date, global sales stand at 3.3 million across 137 countries. Considering that the Qashqai is actually a rethink of what supposed to be the third-generation Almera, the success of the damn thing beggars belief.

“When the Qashqai launched in 2007 it was unique in the market place,” said Paul Willcox, chairman of Nissan Europe. “It has remained as the number one crossover because it has stayed true to its original ideals, and because we have innovated and consistently added technology through the life of the car.” Speaking of innovation, there’s a mid-cycle update on the horizon.

Better late than never, the United States of America can now experience the Qashqai in the form of the recently introduced 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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