2014 Qashqai details surfaces: Successor to be more upscale and efficient

Much like in movies and books, it is always difficult to make a sequel out of something good or popular but Nissan is going to try nevertheless. New details on the 2014 Nissan Qashqai have emerged.

According to a British magaine, the crossover will have styling that is influenced by the Hi-Cross concept. Nissan's executive vice president, Andy Palmer, also told the magazine it will be about the same size as today's model.

Interior-wise, the cabin is expected to feature higher quality materials and an improved design. “Everybody loves the Qashqai’s exterior, but perceived quality on the inside lets it down. Rather than bring the new car up to German quality levels, we want to surpass them" Palmer said on increasing the quality of the new Qashqai. Palmer also brought to attention that the new Qashqai is the first to score a six on Nissan's own scale for measuring overall quality of its cars.

Under the hood, there will reportedly be a new turbocharged 1.2-litre petrol engine that produces 113hp and 190Nm of torque. It could enable the crossover to average more than 5.6L/100km with CO2 emissions of less than 120g/km. On the diesel side, we can expect a 1.6 dCi that develops 128hp and returns 4.7L/100 km with CO2 emissions of less than 105g/km.

The new Qashqai will arrive in 2014, but a concept version will be on show in Geneva next year.