Nissan unveils Europe-only Qashqai crossover

The next Qashqai gets a bold new look, downsized engines and more tech inside.

Nissan has lifted the veil off of the next generation of the popular Qashqai crossover. Not offered in the United States, the current Qashqai helped launch the crossover craze in Europe when it made its debut in 2007.

The 2014 Qashqai wears a front end that borrows design cues such as angular headlights from the all-new Rogue (sold as the X-Trail in Europe) that was unveiled in Frankfurt last month, while the rear end gains a specific look with a rakish D-pillar and elongated tail lamps. The crossover weighs less than its predecessor thanks to the use of Renault-Nissan's new Common Module Family (CMF) platform.

The Qashqai offers a roomy cabin with room for up to five passengers and their gear but Nissan has confirmed the outgoing seven-seater variant will not be replaced. The automaker is putting a big emphasis on state-of-the-art technology in order to move its cars up a notch on the market, and the crossover can be ordered with a wide array of electronic driving aids such as Front Collision Avoidance, Driver Attention Support and Traffic Sign Recognition and Intelligent Park Assist

To trim CO2 emissions and save fuel, the Qashqai is offered with range of four four-cylinder turbocharged engines ranging from a 1.5-liter dCi oil-burner that makes 110 horsepower to a 1.6-liter gas-burner rated at 150 ponies. Entry-level models are front-wheel drive only, but customers who opt for more expensive trim levels can order four-wheel drive at an extra cost. Both manual and continously variable transmissions (CVT) are available.

Nissan's all-new Qashqai is scheduled to go on sale across Europe next January. At the time of writing Nissan does not plan on offering the crossover in the United States.