Geneva Preview: Nissan teases Qazana concept again
by John Neff on Feb 11th 2009 at 11:29AM 
Click above for high-res image gallery of the Nissan Qazana Concept
Nissan has released a teaser image of its big debut for the 2009 Geneva Motor Show: the Qazana Concept. The Qazana will preview a small crossover actually destined for production in 2010, and based on Nissan's description, we're expecting a small, five-door car similar to the new Kia Soul. The head-on teaser shot shows a sliver of headlight, one giant fog light that looks like it does the lion's share of illumination, a flared front fender and tiny side-view mirror. What we don't see are the concept's suicide doors that assuredly won't make it to production (they never do). The actual production Qazana will be based on the same platforms as the next-generation Micra and be built alongside that model in Nissan's Sunderland plant.
[Source: Nissan]
PRESS RELEASE:
NISSAN REVEALS STUNNING DESIGN CONCEPT FOR NEXT SUNDERLAND-BUILT MODEL
* World debut of Qazana concept car
o Hints at the design direction of Nissan's new small Crossover
o Manufacturing planned for 2010 at Nissan's Sunderland factory
* European debut of new 370Z
* European debut of new Cube
Nissan will have a host of new cars for Europe on display at the 79th Geneva International Motor Show.
Qazana Show Car
The star of the Nissan stand will be Qazana, a show car providing a good indication of the, as yet unnamed, compact car that will be produced at the Nissan Sunderland plant from 2010, safeguarding around 1,100 jobs.
Best described as a small Crossover, Qazana has been conceived to challenge conventional wisdom about what buyers of small five-door cars should expect.
The striking design is dominated by large, wide wheel arches and a lower shape which gives a feeling of strength, while the upper body is dynamic, assertive and sporty. Qazana is a five-door, with the rear doors opening forwards once the front doors have been opened, in the style of 'suicide doors'.
Qazana will reinforce Nissan's position as a pioneer of Crossovers, building on the success of Qashqai and the recently introduced Qashqai+2.
Trial builds of the production car will begin in early 2010 before its introduction on the Micra/Note line. There it will take up manufacturing capacity created when production of the current version of Micra ends later that same year.
The new model has been designed and developed in the UK and represents around £57m of investment. Its arrival takes the total investment by Nissan in the Sunderland plant to around £2.5b since 1984.
Trevor Mann, Nissan Senior Vice President for Manufacturing in Europe, commented: "The difficulties currently facing the car industry have been widely documented, and Nissan has not been immune.As a result we have had to make some difficult decisions, but the reason we have done so is to secure a long and positive future for the plant. Qazana points the way to that future and gives an indication of the unique and exciting car we will be producing in Sunderland next year."
Other models being on display at the show
370Z
Being shown for the first time in Europe, Nissan's all new Z-car picks up where the popular 350Z left off. Using an enlarged version of the VQ V6 engine, now producing 331PS, and driving the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox, which is available with the world's first synchronised down/up shift rev control system, or an all-new paddle-operated seven-speed automatic.
Cube
Already an icon in its home market of Japan, the all new Cube will be introduced for the first time in Europe in November, where its unique, friendly design will appeal to European car-buyers who are looking for something genuinely new and different.
Its large, open and airy interior will win the hearts of city-dwellers who are not traditional car 'fans', but who will find Cube appealing as it is an extension of their personality – creative, fun and distinctive. In Europe, the Cube will come with both a 106PS DPF-equipped 1.5-litre diesel and a 1.6-litre petrol, producing 111PS.
The Nissan press conference will be hosted by Carlos Tavares, Executive Vice President, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd at 17:00 on Tuesday 3rd March.
###
* World debut of Qazana concept car
o Hints at the design direction of Nissan's new small Crossover
o Manufacturing planned for 2010 at Nissan's Sunderland factory
* European debut of new 370Z
* European debut of new Cube
Nissan will have a host of new cars for Europe on display at the 79th Geneva International Motor Show.
Qazana Show Car
The star of the Nissan stand will be Qazana, a show car providing a good indication of the, as yet unnamed, compact car that will be produced at the Nissan Sunderland plant from 2010, safeguarding around 1,100 jobs.
Best described as a small Crossover, Qazana has been conceived to challenge conventional wisdom about what buyers of small five-door cars should expect.
The striking design is dominated by large, wide wheel arches and a lower shape which gives a feeling of strength, while the upper body is dynamic, assertive and sporty. Qazana is a five-door, with the rear doors opening forwards once the front doors have been opened, in the style of 'suicide doors'.
Qazana will reinforce Nissan's position as a pioneer of Crossovers, building on the success of Qashqai and the recently introduced Qashqai+2.
Trial builds of the production car will begin in early 2010 before its introduction on the Micra/Note line. There it will take up manufacturing capacity created when production of the current version of Micra ends later that same year.
The new model has been designed and developed in the UK and represents around £57m of investment. Its arrival takes the total investment by Nissan in the Sunderland plant to around £2.5b since 1984.
Trevor Mann, Nissan Senior Vice President for Manufacturing in Europe, commented: "The difficulties currently facing the car industry have been widely documented, and Nissan has not been immune.As a result we have had to make some difficult decisions, but the reason we have done so is to secure a long and positive future for the plant. Qazana points the way to that future and gives an indication of the unique and exciting car we will be producing in Sunderland next year."
Other models being on display at the show
370Z
Being shown for the first time in Europe, Nissan's all new Z-car picks up where the popular 350Z left off. Using an enlarged version of the VQ V6 engine, now producing 331PS, and driving the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox, which is available with the world's first synchronised down/up shift rev control system, or an all-new paddle-operated seven-speed automatic.
Cube
Already an icon in its home market of Japan, the all new Cube will be introduced for the first time in Europe in November, where its unique, friendly design will appeal to European car-buyers who are looking for something genuinely new and different.
Its large, open and airy interior will win the hearts of city-dwellers who are not traditional car 'fans', but who will find Cube appealing as it is an extension of their personality – creative, fun and distinctive. In Europe, the Cube will come with both a 106PS DPF-equipped 1.5-litre diesel and a 1.6-litre petrol, producing 111PS.
The Nissan press conference will be hosted by Carlos Tavares, Executive Vice President, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd at 17:00 on Tuesday 3rd March.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Alex 11:34AM (2/11/2009)
What is it about suicide doors that leaves them off the production model? The name? Consumer confusion? Cost? If it is cost, what is it about them that makes them so expensive?
Reply
MGBYG 11:55AM (2/11/2009)
It's the B-pillar. The cool benefit for egress is the huge aperture provided by opposing door swings. Nice for show cars.
Engineers demand a steel structural the runs vertically through the centre of this huge opening for side impact safety. Two opposing doors locking in on themselves is nowhere near as strong and requiring more complex hinges and latching to even meet the minimal deformation levels.
Once you stick a B-pillar in there, the rear-swinging back door suddenly doesn't have any real benefit to make up for the costs. The few exceptions are cars like the Saturn Ion 2-door and the Mazda RX-8 with very small doors and complicated (read expensive) latching points.
This is what I have heard in meetings from big-wigs, anyway.
Torrent 11:39AM (2/11/2009)
That'll be one ugly mofo.
Reply
gerrrg 11:42AM (2/11/2009)
Here's a prediction: Nissan's designs for the Cube and Qazana will beat the Kia Soul for hipness and edginess. The Kia Soul will become the second child of the Pontiac Aztek. And people will be smiling (laughing on the inside) when they see someone driving in the Soul.
Reply
Bobby 12:21PM (2/11/2009)
What's your rant about he Kia Soul? It seems perfectly good looking, funky, chic and nice.
As for the Qazana. This seems to be a perfect explanation that its a 6 seater 3+3 small crossover - http://wheelsweekly.blogspot.com/2009/02/teaser-nissan-qazana-concept-is-3-front.html
The press release didn't mentioned its a conventional 5 seater, moreover it states "defies conventional wisdom of what buyers of 5 door cars would expect"
Small crossover with weird proportions when put together (both original teaser and flipped image) but looks alright when both seats are too far apart .... hmm it seems it could really be something like the Fiat Multipla/Honda Edix - Only that its a sporty crossover that's small.
Ben 11:45AM (2/11/2009)
I totally read the name of this car as, "Kwanzaa."
Reply
Jason 12:25PM (2/11/2009)
That's intentional. It will go on sale on the first day of Kwanzaa, 2009.
jinsei888 11:57AM (2/11/2009)
incredible!
Reply
s13hybrid 2:42PM (2/11/2009)
I am officially interested.
Reply
Rick 3:49PM (2/11/2009)
Are the lights the headlight and the lower is the fog- or is that a blinker up top and a headlight underneath? That's a tiny headlight and that's a huge fog light if so.
Otherwise, the lines are interesting.
Reply
P.V. 7:07PM (2/11/2009)
Nah. I don't think Nissan needs another CUV, regardless of how good it is or its quirky name ("Qazana"?). IMO, it needs to focus more on the Sentra and the reliability of the Versa. Those cars aren't anywhere near class-leading (Sentra especially; the Versa, although very well put together and containing high-quality materials for such a cheap car, has abysmal reliability AFAIK).
Reply
P.V. 7:08PM (2/11/2009)
Nah. They should focus more on their compact cars.
Reply
P.V. 7:08PM (2/11/2009)
(stupid commenting system)
Dan 12:32PM (2/12/2009)
I love design explorations that deconstruct our traditional notions of what a vehicle "should" look like. Much like Rolls does with the Phantom - how the headlights are in the fog position and the daytime accent lights are in the headlight position.
I think this concept could prove quite interesting. But alas, like every concept that shows us something interesting and novel... it will never make it to production.
If only I were an automaker big wig....
Reply