Nissan Expanding U.S. CUV Portfolio with Qashqai Introduction and Rogue Hybrid

[Gecko]

Nissan will be expanding its crossover range here in the United States, introducing the popular European-market Qashqai, alongside a hybridized version of the Rogue. Nissan's Kyushu, Japan factory, meanwhile, will churn out 100,000 gas-powered Rogues to capitalize on hot demand here in the United States. The Kyushu move, at least, seems like a smart one, considering just how hot the compact Rogue is.

"We haven't hit the ceiling [on Rogue] yet. We have more opportunity there if we can get our dealers more," Fred Diaz, Nissan's senior VP of sales and marketing, told Automotive News. Amping up production in Kyushu will finally mean the end of the first-generation Rogue, though, now known as the Rogue Select. Somehow, we doubt many tears will be shed.

AN cites "two sources familiar with Nissan's future product" in its report on the Qashqai and Rogue Hybrid, although both moves are a bit strange at first glance. Both vehicles play in the same part of the market, and are both based on the Renault-Nissan Common Module Family platform. As for the Rogue Hybrid, well, we know what happened the last time Nissan tried to add an electric motor and battery pack to one of its crossovers. Plus, we've heard this rumor before.

Nissan, though, seems to think both moves make a lot of sense. While the Qashqai and Rogue are closely related, the Euro-market model is smaller – 10 inches shorter and two inches narrower – making it less versatile, and it wears more handsome sheetmetal. Expect Nissan to field it as such, aiming at buyers that want a CUV for the lifestyle, rather than the versatility, Automotive News reports.

There's a lot less information on the Rogue Hybrid, aside from AN reporting that it will hit the market next year. As for potential powertrains, mum's the word. The gas-powered Rogue uses a 2.5-liter four-cylinder, which is the same size as the gas-engine found in the dead-but-still-warm Pathfinder Hybrid. While we doubt it's as simple as a drag and drop, it seems like Nissan's most recent hybrid powertrain is the obvious choice for the upcoming Rogue.

Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2015/07/13/nissan-bringing-qashqai-rogue-hybrid-to-us/#slide-1418343

 

[mmcartalk]

Thanks for the thread, Gecko.

Although the article doesn't (exactly) say this, it seems fairly clear to me why Nissan is doing this. Although, size-wise, they currently have the Juke to compete with Honda's new HR-V and Mazda's upcoming CX-3, the Juke's controversial styling and somewhat cramped interior limit its sales appeal somewhat. The Qashqai, being essentially a downsized Rogue, should give Nissan a more conventional competitor in the subcompact-SUV series. It has also been quite popular in Europe (Top Gear magazine seems to have at least some respect for it).

 

[Och]

Nissan never fails when it comes to producing more cheap junk.

 

[mmcartalk]

Nissan never fails when it comes to producing more cheap junk.

I've seen lots worse.......even by today's standards.

 

[CIF]

We'll see how this goes. Given the current CUV craze, I'm sure Nissan thinks this will automatically sell. Nothing is guaranteed though.

 

[mmcartalk]

We'll see how this goes. Given the current CUV craze, I'm sure Nissan thinks this will automatically sell. Nothing is guaranteed though.

True, but SUVs, especially crossovers, are often a slam-dunk case. I can only think of one recent SUVs in the American market that didn't sell....the Acura ZDX because of its silly styling and cramped rear seat. Even the Nissan Juke, which has a front end that looks like a clown, ran up some decent numbers. The BMW X6, which critics panned at first, got off to a very slow start, but also rang up some decent (or at least acceptable) numbers later. So, I definitely see a market for the Qashqai.....perhaps less so for the Rogue Hybrid.

 

[mmcartalk]

One interesting question could be how well Americans take to the name Qashqai itself........I suspect that a number of them, right now, may not even be able to pronounce it. It comes from a group of Turkic-descended people that are native to parts of Iran and Central Asia. VW did more or less the the same thing some years ago, when they named their entry-level American-market SUV the Touareg (named after a North African Berber people of the Sahara). Americans seemed to have some trouble pronouncing that name, too, and VW even received some complaints from people of Touraeg descent (I guess you can't please everyone, even if you name a vehicle after them).

Even a simple name that Americans can easily pronounce sometimes carries risks. A good example was the renaming of the Ford Taurus and Sable to the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego. This was done with the restyling of the Taurus, adding a new chrome front grille that recalled the classic Ford Galaxie 500 of the mid-1960s. (that, for you old-timers like me that remember it, was the Ford that starred in the low-noise ad-comparisons with Rolls Royce).

I myself liked both the new name and the car.......and even considered getting one. But, the American public in general, with their short memory, had gotten so used to the Taurus name that sales plummeted with the renaming to Five Hundred. Ford, after a couple of years, changed the name back to Taurus.......and simply dropped the Mercury division itself.

 

[Gecko]

There is less than a $3,000 difference between the Juke and Rogue, so that's a pretty tight squeeze for a new model.

I guess we'll see how they do it!

 

[mmcartalk]

There is less than a $3,000 difference between the Juke and Rogue, so that's a pretty tight squeeze for a new model.

True, but there s a much wider gap than that in looks.

 

[mikeavelli]

Also if you are not aware, Nissan still sells the previous Rouge alongside the new one...They are smart with this move, sedans will not grow your sales, SUVs will.

The new Rouge to me is stunning for the price.

 

[mmcartalk]

Also if you are not aware, Nissan still sells the previous Rouge alongside the new one...They are smart with this move, sedans will not grow your sales, SUVs will.

The new Rouge to me is stunning for the price.

Yes, they were supposed to do the Rogue and Rogue Select together for only one year, but maybe demand on the Select was better than anticipated, and they kept it in production. It is still listed on Nissan's U.S.-market web site.

IMO, it's actually not surprising if the Select is still selling. I found it rather impressive and appliance-like, with a ho-hum interior, but it does offer a brand-new ride, with AWD for bad weather, at a price roughly 3K less than the new Rogue. And price is a big deal with some buyers.

 

[mmcartalk]

VW did more or less the the same thing some years ago, when they named their entry-level American-market SUV the Touareg (named after a North African Berber people of the Sahara).

Oops....I'll correct myself here, on a typo. The Touraeg is VW's top-line SUV, not their entry-level model, which is the Tiguan. And a friend of mine, before he retired, used to sell VWs.

 

[CIF]

Yes, the name could be potentially a problem. We'll see how North American consumers accept it.

 

[mikeavelli]

I agree the name won't work well here, reminds me of the Isuzu Axiom which I still don't know if I am saying right lol

 

[mmcartalk]

I agree the name won't work well here, reminds me of the Isuzu Axiom which I still don't know if I am saying right lol

Axiom is actually a common English word that refers to a generally accepted saying considered to be truth. One "Axiom" is that Isuzu couldn't make it in the American market LOL.

On a slightly different note, one thing I agree with some other posters on is that Lincoln, Cadillac, Acura, Infiniti, and others would probably have a better image without the alphabet-soup naming. Nissan, with the Qashqai name, while maybe difficult for some Americans to pronounce, at least avoids that confusing alphabet-soup.

 

[mikeavelli]

Axiom is actually a common English word that refers to a generally accepted saying considered to be truth. One "Axiom" is that Isuzu couldn't make it in the American market LOL.

On a slightly different note, one thing I agree with some other posters on is that Lincoln, Cadillac, Acura, Infiniti, and others would probably have a better image without the alphabet-soup naming. Nissan, with the Qashqai name, while maybe difficult for some Americans to pronounce, at least avoids that confusing alphabet-soup.

Thanks, I still doubt I use it lol.

Agreed on the alphabet soup...in retrospect it shocking, its marketing 101 and common sense 101 but for decades we have people getting paid tons of money to re-name cars thinking that is the cure to problems. SMH

 

[Och]

As we would say in Russia - a good car won't be named "Qashqai".

 

[mmcartalk]

As we would say in Russia - a good car won't be named "Qashqai".

I guess there must be some bad cars in Russia, then, since the Qashqai is apparantly sold there.

(This from Nissan's Russian website)

http://www.nissan.ru/RU/ru/vehicle/crossovers/new-qashqai.html

 

[Och]

I guess there must be some bad cars in Russia, then, since the Qashqai is apparantly sold there.

(This from Nissan's Russian website)

http://www.nissan.ru/RU/ru/vehicle/crossovers/new-qashqai.html

Yes, and the general opinion on Qashkai in Russia is pretty low. There is also a Lada based Nissan (Datsun On-Do) that is sold in Russia, and Lada Largus that is in turn based on Nissan/Renault Logan.

In general, I don't think you can do much worse than with products from Nissan-Renault group and their huge alliance, which now includes Lada and Dacia.

Even their so called "premium" Infiniti cars are utter junk.

 

[mmcartalk]

There is also a Lada based Nissan (Datsun On-Do) that is sold in Russia, and Lada Largus that is in turn based on Nissan/Renault Logan.

I haven't had a chance to sample or review a Lada. But, simply based on what I've read about them, one of the very few things that impressed me coming out of the old Communist Russia was the way the old Ladas were built....for tough Siberian conditions and primitive roads, with no skimping on the amount of metal or durability put into them (somewhat like a less-expensive alternative to the vault-like Mercedes G-Wagon). Older Ladas (supposedly) often reached 300,000 miles.