Nissan has launched its first crossover vehicle, the new Qashqai in China. The Nissan Qashqai is manufactured at the Huadu plant of Dongfeng Motor Co (DFL), which is Nissan's local partner in China. In China, the car is called Xiaoke, which means nomad in Chinese. The naming seems to be a deliberate as Nissan Qashqai has been positioned as an urban nomad by the auto maker.

The Nissan Qashqai has been priced at RMB 167,800, which is equivalent to $23,600, for the 2.0L 2WD manual transmission, while the 2.0L 4WD CVT Premium Grade is priced at RMB 219,800 (USD 30,100). Sales are expected to cross 3,000 units monthly.

Nissan expects the Qashqai to fill the gap between hatchbacks and SUV categories and contribute to its brand image in China. The Nissan Qashqai will taken on the Honda - CRV and the Toyota RAV-4.

Powered by a 2.0L gasoline engine which delivers a maximum output of 137PS, Nissan Qashqai will be available with either a CVT or 6-speed manual transmission and 2WD or 4WD. For the China market, Nissan has made a few alterations in the European version of Qashqai. The interiors are beige instead of from black, the sunroof has been modified, and a chrome strip has been added on the strip on the side body panel.

Nissan Qashqai is the sixth model built at DFL’s Huadu plant, which also manufactures the Livina Geniss, Livina, Sylphy, Tiida sedan and hatchback

Nissan has sold 100,000 Nissan Qashqai in Europe with about 17,554 in UK, 15,376 in Russia, and 10,746 in Italy, by end of 2007, and has plans to enter the middle-east market as well.

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