Photo: Nissan
Marketing works in what I would call mysterious ways. Branding, above all, gets on my nerves when it comes to the auto industry. Case in point: Europe’s best-selling crossover.
Since it went on sale in 2007, Nissan’s compact model was known as the Qashqai. The fact that it went on to become the best-selling crossover in Europe is saying something about its qualities as a car and, to a certain extent, the appeal of its name. Now take a guess how it's called in the U.S.?
If you’ve been keeping an eye on our coverage of the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, then you know the answer to that question. It’s Rogue Sport, alluding to the fact the U.S.-spec model is the Rogue’s smaller brother. I can’t say that Nissan did wrong to rename it as such, chiefly because the Rogue is the third best-selling SUV in the United States after the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.
In Canada, meanwhile, the Rogue is also known as the Rogue, yet the Rogue Sport is called Qashqai. If I may point the obvious, isn’t the United States neighbored by Canada? Given that the Rogue is called Rogue in both the U.S. and Canada, why did Nissan Canada go with Qashqai instead of Rogue Sport?
That said, now do you understand why branding genuinely grinds my gears?
The 2017 model year Nissan Qashqai is slated to go on sale in Canada this coming spring. Similarly to the U.S.-spec Rogue Sport, the 141 hp and 147 lb-ft 2.0-liter N/A engine is standard. The Xtronic CVT is also standard, as is front-wheel-drive. AWD is available for each and every trim level (S, SV, SL).
"The new Qashqai is a great complement to the Nissan CUV [crossover utility vehicle] lineup," explains Bert Brooks, the senior manager of product planning at Nissan Canada. "While Rogue has been a great success and will continue to appeal to owners with young families, Qashqai fills a need for singles and couples who want the space and versatility of a CUV, but also desire a smaller overall size for urban maneuverability like a passenger car," he added.
If you’ve been keeping an eye on our coverage of the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, then you know the answer to that question. It’s Rogue Sport, alluding to the fact the U.S.-spec model is the Rogue’s smaller brother. I can’t say that Nissan did wrong to rename it as such, chiefly because the Rogue is the third best-selling SUV in the United States after the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.
In Canada, meanwhile, the Rogue is also known as the Rogue, yet the Rogue Sport is called Qashqai. If I may point the obvious, isn’t the United States neighbored by Canada? Given that the Rogue is called Rogue in both the U.S. and Canada, why did Nissan Canada go with Qashqai instead of Rogue Sport?
That said, now do you understand why branding genuinely grinds my gears?
The 2017 model year Nissan Qashqai is slated to go on sale in Canada this coming spring. Similarly to the U.S.-spec Rogue Sport, the 141 hp and 147 lb-ft 2.0-liter N/A engine is standard. The Xtronic CVT is also standard, as is front-wheel-drive. AWD is available for each and every trim level (S, SV, SL).
"The new Qashqai is a great complement to the Nissan CUV [crossover utility vehicle] lineup," explains Bert Brooks, the senior manager of product planning at Nissan Canada. "While Rogue has been a great success and will continue to appeal to owners with young families, Qashqai fills a need for singles and couples who want the space and versatility of a CUV, but also desire a smaller overall size for urban maneuverability like a passenger car," he added.
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