The Nissan Qashqai has been confirmed as last year's best selling car with more than 42,000 snapped up by motorists.
Newly published figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) confirmed the Sunderland-made car was the first British-built model to top the annual sales chart in 24 years. A total of 42,704 new Qashqais left dealership forecourts across the UK in 2022 with 3,506 alone sold in December.
It is the first time Nissan has topped the SMMT's table and to mark the occasion, a gold-wrapped Qashqai was created in honour of the 7,000 Nissan employees in UK - including sites in Paddington, Cranfield and Sunderland - that have played a part in its success. There have now been three generations of Qashqai sold in the UK since its 2007 launch - with some 3.8 million produced at the Sunderland factory. The latest iteration - launched in 2021 - is equipped with Nissan’s e-POWER technology that uses a petrol engine to charge a battery that in turn power an electric motor.
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Andrew Humberstone, managing director of Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd, said: ‘"This is a landmark moment for a landmark car and it’s great to see how the latest generation Qashqai has struck a chord with car buyers here in the UK. We’re absolutely thrilled to see this car’s increasing success over the last 16 years, and it’s a fitting tribute to the skills and talents of Nissan’s excellent design, engineering, production and sales teams all around the UK."
Alan Johnson, vice president of Manufacturing for Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK), added: "We’ve built three generations of the ground-breaking Qashqai in the North East and it has become the mainstay of production here for 16 years. We’re incredibly proud of its success and it’s great to see that our passion for building it is shared by car buyers across the UK and Europe, who love its combination of practicality, exciting design, unique technology and electrified efficiency."
Before Christmas, Nissan's UK arm, which operates the Sunderland facility, reported a fall in operating profit as it faced a number of headwinds buffeting the automotive sector. A major investment programme through Nissan's EV36Zero project is taking place in the North East, ahead of a new electric model being produced at the plant from 2025.
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