- The European market has strongly declined from 2007 to 2013.
This evolution is the consequence of two main factors:

° less users of cars, especially in dense populated zones of Europe where people turn to collective transportation ways and/or soft ways (bikes and motorbikes).

° less driven kilometers and consequently longer use time of vehicles

- But we can differentiate very clearly the market of “Premium” cars from the market of “Generalist” (Non-Premium cars).
While the “Generalist” car market has continuously declined, the “Premium" market has stabilised around 2 million vehicles per year. What is nevertheless surprising is that "Premium"  market has not increased in volume while European carmakers have widened significantly their offer of models.

- Consequently, the “ Premium” carmakers have been in better position to withstand the crisis. However only Audi could recover its pre-crisis level. And one “Generalist” carmaker brand, Volkswagen, has maintained its volume (with however a slowdown in 2013) and increase significantly its market share.

  

- Nissan has unveiled the new generation of crossover Qashqai,  to be manufactured in the UK Sunderland plant from early 2014.

- Pioneer of compact crossovers (C segment), the Qashqai has become over the years one of the most produced and sold vehicle in Europe.

- Considering the data of the first eight months of 2013, the Qashqai positions itself in eighth position (142,081 units ) in Europe, which represents the best performance of the model since its launch in 2007. For the full year 2013, it is expected to exceed 210,000 units sold in Europe (310,000 units are produced at total in 2013 in Sunderland (Inovev’s estimates)).

- Currently, about 100,000 units are exported annually from Sunderland, to Ukraine, China, Japan and chiefly Russia (35 000 vehicles in 2013).

- From 2014 or 2015 Nissan Qashqai for the Russian market will be produced locally in the Saint Petersburg, at 50 000 units per year. This site currently manufactures Nissan Teana and X -Trail .

- The Qashqai is not sold in North America as Nissan chose Rogue ( American version of the future X -Trail ) as the vehicle best suited to this market.