Nissan’s British designed, engineered and built Qashqai has been a massive success in the UK, securing a spot in the top ten best sellers list. But it’s not just the British who love the car, as the innovative crossover has just passed the 1,000,000 sold mark worldwide after just four years in production.

Sitting between the style of a traditional hatchback and a robust, elevated SUV, Nissan’s Qashqai might have seemed like a niche too far for some. But in reality, the innovative car merged the best of two worlds and captured the car-buying public’s imagination. Updated in March 2010 with refreshed design and improved fuel economy and CO₂ emissions, it has been a mainstay of Nissan’s European lineup for four consecutive years.

Qashqai is clearly the pioneer when it comes to ‘Compact Crossovers’, setting the trend that others in the industry follow. Its balance of key SUV attributes like robust design, roomy interior and higher driving position combined with the benefits of a hatchback such as great fuel economy, compactness and driving dynamics, resonates well with customers around the world. Combining the innovative concept with customer-oriented technology features, the Qashqai clearly demonstrates Nissan’s unique approach to meet customers’ changing expectations of their cars.” said Guillaume Masurel, Nissan’s Global Chief Marketing Manager for Qashqai.

Qashqai is currently produced in the Sunderland factory in the UK, the Kyushu factory in Japan, and in Dongfeng Nissan’s Huadu Plant and Zhengzhou Nissan’s No. 2 Plant in China. The UK is by far the biggest producer of Qashqai, with more than 800,000 of the 1,000,000 being made in Sunderland.