Nissan says it will keep the combustion-engined Qashqai crossover on sale for as long as there is demand and is able to do so while meeting mandated EV targets.
Now in its fifth year on sale, the current-generation Qashqai remains Nissan's most popular car in Europe and one of the UK's best-selling overall, notching up more than 41,000 sales last year to outsell the Vauxhall Corsa and Volkswagen Golf.
Built alongside the smaller Juke and electric Leaf crossovers at Nissan's Sunderland plant, it's offered with a choice of mild-hybrid petrol and 'e-Power' full-hybrid drivetrains.
It was previously planned to gain an electric option as part of Nissan's transition to an all-EV line-up, but the firm now says it will stick with ICE power in the Qashqai for as long as possible.
Recent reports alleged that development of the electric Qashqai – which was previewed with a radical concept dubbed Hyper Urban in 2023 – had been scrapped as part of a widespread cost-cutting plan that had Nissan slash its global product offering, factory count and workforce.
During a presentation for the new Pixo electric supermini, a spokesperson clarified that Nissan has never publicly confirmed the EV Qashqai's cancellation, but the firm's European boss Jordi Villa told Autocar that the current strategy is to keep the ICE Qashqai for several years to come.
"We go through electrification with a choice; we really walk the talk," he said of the firm's multi-powertrain strategy, under which the Qashqai will be built alongside the new Juke EV, Leaf and hybrid Kicks crossover from next year.
"Is Qashqai a vehicle that is crucial to our line-up in Europe? The answer is yes. Does it work well with either mild hybrid or electrified solutions like e-Power, as we know well? The answer is yes. "Frankly, we are not making an announcement today, but the intention is that while there is a demand for a vehicle, we are very happy to continue with the model."
He said that Nissan will "further discuss" plans for the Qashqai going towards the end of the decade and that the prospect of an electric equivalent – as with the Juke – hadn't been written off.
"We are looking what can be always electric versus electrified solutions, so it's not something we have closed, because we are following the market evolution as we speak," he said.
"But at the moment, I would say certainly we plan to leverage Qashqai and Qashqai e-Power as long as there is a demand."
