Nissan's Qashqai won't follow the example set by the Juke in getting a Nismo-tuned versionNissan officials pour cold water on any idea of a Nismo-tuned Qashqai, choosing instead to focus on the Juke and GT-R product lines
Nissan will limit its performance-tuned Nismo range to the Juke, 370Z and GT-R, and hold-off from tweaking the Qashqai and X-Trail to join the emerging, top-end 4x4 market.
Speaking to Autocar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the firm's marketing boss Gareth Dunsmore said: "X-Trail and Qashqai are phenomenally successful and they don’t necessarily need Nismo to give them that additional boost."
Dunsmore also opened up the possibility of Nissan’s new supermini, based on the Sway concept, getting the Nismo treatment, but ruled out the Micra and Note.
“For me, the Nismo on a Micra or Note would be wrong. It's not about forcing it on to something it doesn’t need to be,” he said.
Nismo will focus on the GT Academy, which has generated 35m TV viewers worldwide, and developing Nismo merchandising and accessories.
"Accessories are a really big part of our business going forward. It's a good area for Nismo to explore," says Dunsmore.
"We’ve only been doing Nismo for three years in Europe, so we have to build credibility up. We need to keep focused on GT Academy, Juke, Z and GT-R and build out from a fanbase and accessory perspective," he added.
A performance-tuned Qashqai would give Nissan an offering against premium soft-roaders like the Audi Q3/Q5, Mini Countryman JCW and BMW X3M.
The road-going Juke Nismo RS features a beefed-up 218bhp 2.0-litre turbo engine, as well as revised styling and an interior with additional personalisation options.
At Goodwood, Nissan promoted the Juke and Nismo brands with a new, 600bhp version of the Juke-R, with the designation 2.0, derived from the naming scheme given to software upgrades.
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