Superchips Develops a Firmware Upgrade for Nissan Qashqai 1.5 DCi

The diesel-powered Nissan Qashqai 1.5 DCi is at Superchip's center of attention as the British tuning brand has created an ECU remap to boost the crossover model's performance.

In factory trim, the Qashqai's Renault-sourced 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel develops a peak output of 108bhp (110PS) at 4,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 240Nm (177 lb-ft).

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Nissan Launches Qashqai in China

Nissan announced the launch of the Qashqai in China where it will bear the name “Xiaoke”, which means “nomad” in Chinese. The compact crossover will be manufactured at the Huadu plant of Dongfeng Motor (DFL), Nissan's local partner in China which also manufactures the Livina Geniss, Livina, Sylphy, Tiida sedan and hatchback.

In order to meet Chinese customer needs, some modifications from the European Qashqai were made for this market. Among them are an interior color change from black to beige, modification of the sunroof design and the addition of a chrome strip on the side body panel. Power will come from a 2.0L engine delivering 137 PS and the Xiaoke will be available with either a CVT or 6-speed manual transmission and 2WD or 4WD.

Prices in China start at RMB 167,800 (USD: 23,600) for the 2.0L 2WD Manual Transmission, while the 2.0L 4WD CVT Premium Grade is priced at RMB 219,800 (USD: 30,100). Nissan projects sales of more than 3,000 units monthly in China.

Nissan Qashqai Hits 100,000 European Sales

Nissan’s compact crossover has proven a success in Europe as the 100,000th customer sale was completed during the last week of November. The Qashqai was launched in the European market in March and according to Nissan’s stats, the UK, Russia and Italy were its three largest markets, with sales at the end of November of 17,554, 15,376 and 10,746 units respectively since launch. -Continued

In order to meet demand for the car in Europe, Nissan increased production by 20% in June at its factory in Sunderland, England. And, from January, production of the Japanese version of the Qashqai will be transferred from Sunderland to Nissan’s factory in Kyushu, Japan, thus allowing extra production capacity for Europe. Sales of Dualis in Japan, as it is badged in that market, have also exceeded expectation, with total sales of over 18,000 since its introduction in May.

QASHQAI Facts and Figures:

• On average, 850 QASHQAIs are built a day at Sunderland
• Each QASHQAI receives 4608 spot-welds in construction, administered by 298 robots
• 920 different combinations of QASHQAI have been manufactured
• It takes 10.5 man hours to build a QASHQAI (including bumper mouldings and painting, and axle production)
• A QASHQAI contains approximately 2750 components (depending on specification)

Nissan Qashqai Diesel Travels More Than 867 Miles - 1.387 Km On One Fuel Tank

Seven test drivers from the Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) in Bedfordshire, UK took turns piloting a 1.5dCi Qashqai in order to see how far they could go with one single tank of fuel. The light-footed pilots managed to travel the entire length of the UK, from Land’s End on the southwest coast of England to John o’Groat’s on the northern tip of Scotland without stopping once to refuel. The seven drivers, who set off on 25 September, managed an average fuel consumption of 56.1 US MPG (4.2 l/100 km) on the 867 mile or 1,387 km run.

What’s even more amazing is the fact that there were still another seven liters of fuel left in the tank when they crossed the finish line at the next day (Sep. 26) which was enough to cover an extra 110 miles (176 km). That means that the diesel-powered Qashqai could have traveled a total of 977 miles or 1.563 km on one single tank of fuel!

Nissan To Expand Qashqai / Dualis Production In Japan

The unexpected success of Nissan’s compact crossover in Europe -58,051 units since the Qashqai’s market launch in February ’07, has led the Japanese firm to the decision to add new capacity at its Kyushu plant in Japan to meet increased local demand and free up more capacity at its Sunderland plant in the UK for European sales. The Qashqai was launched in Japan as the Dualis in May ’07, and to date, it has sold 9,466 units in Nissan’s home market. According to the Japanese firm, production of the Dualis will begin in early 2008 at the Kyushu plant, with annual production expected to reach 24,000 units. We remind you that in June, Nissan announced a further £2.4 million (580 million yen) investment into the Sunderland plant to increase Qashqai production.