With its announcement of a $19,998 Canadian base price for the new 2017 Qashqai, Nissan has sprung a big surprise on the automotive industry. The price tag for the new subcompact SUV is some $2,000 to $4,000 below those affixed to its direct competitors like the Mazda CX-3, Honda HR-V, Subaru Crosstrek, new Toyota CH-R, Jeep Renegade and Chevrolet Trax.
Unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Qashqai is an integral part of Nissan’s strategy for its declared Year of the Truck – the automaker also unveiled the next-generation TITAN, revised Rogue and Pathfinder editions, and will likely introduce a next-generation Frontier before the end of 2017.
Explained Joni Paiva, president, Nissan Canada Inc, "The 2017 Nissan Qashqai perfectly bridges the gap between compact sedan and SUV by offering the benefits of both.” The new SUV is sportier and nimbler than the Rogue, and less radical than the JUKE. Its release comes at a time when consumer demand for SUVs has surpassed its appetite for sedans.
With its winsome styling, attractive format and aggressive pricing, not to mention the solid reputation and popularity it has benefited from in Europe for nearly a decade, the Qashqai will, we venture to predict, be a sales juggernaut on this side of the Atlantic. We’ll be attending a press presentation for it this week and we’ll be getting back to you with our first impressions after its official Canadian launch, scheduled for June.
Pricing for the 2017 Nissan Qashqai
- - Qashqai S FWD (manual) – $19,998
- - Qashqai S FWD – $21,998
- - Qashqai S AWD CVT – $24,198
- - Qashqai SV FWD CVT – $24,598
- - Qashqai SV AWD CVT – $26,798
- - Qashqai SL AWD CVT – $29,498
- - Qashqai SL AWD CVT Platinum Package – $32,198