The interior of the third-generation Nissan Qashqai has been photographed, and – surprise surprise! – it bears a very strong resemblance to the new X-Trail.
The Qashqai prototype seen here has a dashboard that looks almost identical to the one in the recently unveiled fourth-generation X-Trail although with a large section still covered up, there’s still space for some differentiation.
In the centre of the dashboard is a free-standing infotainment system with a decently-sized screen, piano black surround, physical volume and tuning dials, and a strip of physical controls underneath.
Below are the air-conditioning vents, and a row of climate controls. Ahead of the driver there’s a flat-bottom steering wheel, and a fully digital instrument cluster.
This latest prototype, spotted in Europe, features roughly the same amount of exterior camouflage as the vehicle spied a month ago.
That said, there are a few changes up front, and we can see the headlight units are arranged into a distinctive C-shape with the main and high beams in the lower arm, and the driving lights in the upper section.
Under the skin, the Qashqai will use the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance CMF platform also employed by the new X-Trail and next-generation Renault Kadjar.
For Europe at least, the new Qashqai is rumoured to drop diesel engine options in favour of hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants.
A report from The Financial Times claims production of the Qashqai at the company’s Sunderland, UK factory has been delayed by six months to April 2021.
It’s unclear if this move, reportedly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will have a knock-on effect for Australian models.
