The Nissan Qazana Concept made its first ever appearance at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. Inspired by a simple desire to have fun behind the wheel, Nissan Qazana Concept shows that mind-numbing motoring could be a thing of the past.
Officially it's a showcar, a study into how a small car of the future could look. But with the announcement that a small crossover - a baby brother to Nissan Qashqai - will be built at the company's Sunderland factory in the UK, Nissan Qazana Concept's significance should not be underestimated.
"The Nissan Qazana Concept is an intelligent, all-wheel drive crossover which is masculine, agile, lean, and designed for the tough city streets. Our team at Nissan Design Europe in London realised this image with the motif of a modern day beach buggy and four-seat motor-bike," explains Atsushi Maeda, Studio Chief Designer, Nissan Design Europe.
According to Matt Weaver, project lead designer at NDE, Nissan Qazana Concept was designed to be sophisticated but fun. "It's a hugely optimistic car, which is no bad thing in these difficult times. Had it been created in the 1960s, it would have counted camper vans, bikes and buggies as its rivals. Infused with that same spirit, there's nothing quite like it available today."
Challenges tradition
In the same way that Nissan re-wrote the rule-book when it introduced Qashqai two years ago, so Nissan Qazana Concept is ready to do it again. By approaching the small car market from a totally different direction, Qazana invigorates, stimulates and rejuvenates the traditional town runabout.
Compact dimensions
Compact overall dimensions (4060mm in length, 1570mm tall, 1780 wide and a wheelbase of 2530mm) mean Nissan Qazana Concept would be ideally suited to the urban environment. Yet its advanced specification and energetic styling suggest an ability that goes far beyond the city walls.
By mixing SUV and sports car styling cues, NDE's design team has created a highly individual Crossover quite unlike anything else on the road. The tall stance, truncated rear styling and short front and rear overhangs underscore its feeling of robustness and strength, but the low roof line, assertive side window graphic and broad shoulders hint at a sporting ability absent in traditional all-wheel drives.
At the same time, rounded elements - notably the wheel arches and bonnet - evoke a friendly ambiance and provide a link with existing Nissan Crossovers. Indeed, Qazana has the signature Crossover design detail in the rising window line at the rear, also found on Murano and Qashqai.
Says Weaver: "Qazana follows in Qashqai's wheel tracks by challenging convention. Externally Nissan Qazana Concept adds a number of existing Nissan design cues - including a variation on the 'boomerang' rear light theme from Nissan 370Z - to a highly distinctive shape that's unlike anything else in the company's current design portfolio."
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