Qashqai becomes Sunderland Nissan plant's most successful car ever

The Qashqai has overtaken the Micra as the most produced car at Sunderland's Nissan plant.

The Wearside site has now built more of the massively-successful crossover than any other model in its three decades of manufacturing in Europe.

Production has recently surpassed the previous-highest model total of 2,368,704, held by the Micra.

The Qashqai reached 2,368,705 units in less than 10 years and the number is still rocketing, with the plant continuing to produce about 1,200 Qashqais every day.

No other car in the history of the UK car industry has gone beyond two million units in such a short period of time.

Colin Lawther, Nissan’s senior vice-president for manufacturing, purchasing and supply chain management in Europe, said: “The Qashqai created an entirely-new segment when it was first launched and continues to set the standard in crossovers.

“The Micra is an iconic model for Nissan in Europe, made for 18 years in our Sunderland plant. To overtake it in half the time shows just how quickly our European customers have taken Qashqai to their hearts.”

Styled and engineered for European customers in Nissan’s UK-based design and technical centres, the Qashqai is Nissan’s top-selling car in Europe. It’s also the best-selling crossover in Europe, requiring round-the-clock production since 2010.

Demand for the Nissan Qashqai shows no sign of slowing down. In September 2015, the second-generation Qashqai became the fastest-ever UK-built vehicle to smash the half-million production mark.

Today, a new Qashqai is built every 62 seconds, or 58 per hour, at Sunderland.

Earlier this month, Nissan announced Qashqai will be Nissan’s first vehicle in Europe to feature “Piloted Drive” technology.

Nissan will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Sunderland facility this year, which manufactures the Qashqai, Juke, the all-electric Leaf, the Note hatchback and the new Infiniti Q30 premium compact car.