According to various reports, the 2018 Nissan Qashqai was supposed to feature semi-autonomous drive technology. The reports were slightly mistaken, and we will see the semi-autonomous feature on the facelifted model of this popular compact SUV.
The facelifted next-generation Nissan Qashqai will be unveiled at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show in March. This model will feature the Piloted Drive 1.0 which will enable the car to drive itself in congested traffic and on motorways by operating the steering, throttle, and brake, as AutoExpress reports.
Richard Candler said that launching the 2018 Nissan Qashqai with this kind of autonomous technology will not cause its price to leap dramatically. In his talk with AutoExpress, Candler, who is the company’s head of advanced product strategy said this about the price: “This is accessible. We’re not trying to make a 100,000 Euro ($107,300) Qashqai. And in time, it will be on Jukes and Micras, and we simply can’t double the price of a Micra. It will be a reasonable price.”
Tesla’s Autopilot is capable of switching lanes as well, but don’t expect to see that in the facelifted Qashqai. This feature will become integrated into a Nissan’s lineup hopefully before 2024. Candler added: “This tech will become mainstream on our cars in the same way that Safety Shield is. Last year 50 percent of the cars sold had Safety Shield. My vision is to get to those kind of numbers – it’s going to be like ABS and airbags, integral to the car.”
The 2018 Nissan Qashqai will also come with the redesigned front end, and the inspiration for the new front fascia comes from the Premium Concept that was introduced at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. The starting price of the new Qashqai will be around £19,000, and it will hit the British market in summer this year.
