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.