2021 Nissan Qashqai’s cutting-edge cabin design officially previewed

KUALA LUMPUR: Nissan dropped the first teaser image of the third-generation Qashqai SUV last month, which although did not reveal much about its exterior but was enough to make us believe that the upcoming model will be a sea change as compared to the ongoing version. And, now the Japanese automaker took off the wraps of its extra sensible interior styling, so let’s check out what all it offers.

According to Nissan, the new Qashqai’s connected, comfortable, and commanding cabin sets a new segment standard with its premium feel, distinctive design, and enhanced usability. 

Starting with the seats, the cabin features new seat materials with a unique Nappa leather design that takes 25 days to produce and more than 1 hour to embroider the 3D diamond quilted design. The front seats will also have a massage seat function with three program modes, conveniently adjusted through the NissanConnect system.

The 2021 Nissan Qashqai will have a 12.3-inch multi-information TFT instrument cluster compatible with the navigation, entertainment, traffic, or vehicle information display. Also, the buyers will now get a 10.8-inch head-up display offering the largest projected image size in the segment, according to the automaker.

For entertainment on the go, the upcoming SUV will equip a 9-inch Nissan Connect unit with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, mated to a 10-speaker Bose premium sound system with a subwoofer. 

Adding to the convenience is home-to-car connectivity with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant devices. This function supports a wide range of commands, which include sending destinations to the SUV's navigation by talking to the smart device.

With the available NissanConnect smartphone app, several vehicle control functions can also be operated such as remote horn and lights, remote door lock, and unlock, and so on. Vehicle health reports will also be viewable through this app.

Other interior highlights include:

• In-Car Wi-Fi for up to seven devices
• Smart gear selector
• Drive mode selector switch
• Stolen vehicle tracking
• Access to TomTom 3D Maps & Live Traffic
• In-car button for 24/7 assistance 
• Front storage console for 15w wireless charging for smartphones
• USB charging connections with USB-A as well as USB-C ports
• Powered hands-free tailgate
• White ambient lighting 
• Dual lighting in the luggage area

Dimensionally, the 2021 Qashqai is 35 mm longer and 30 mm wider than its predecessor, thus providing 22 mm extra knee room for rear-seat passengers and 28 mm more shoulder room for front ones. The front and rear headroom has also improved by around 15 mm.

Matthew Weaver, Vice President, Nissan Design Europe, said: "The new Nissan Qashqai is the perfect intersection of expressive design and customer expectation. Their needs inform our focus, and our bold statements meet their highest expectations. With this next-generation model, we have elevated the Qashqai to a new level in offering a premium yet a practical, luxurious yet accessible, and advanced yet usable environment that will set the standard for others to follow."

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