The Qazana concept is a small, all-wheel drive crossover, inspired by motorbikes and beach buggies. Mixing tall-stance SUV with rakish sportscar styling cues, Nissan says the frontal aspect has the ‘look of a rally car preparing for a night stage.’ At just over 4m in length, it sits neatly between the Micra and the Tiida, riding on a 2530mm wheelbase. According to lead designer Matt Weaver “Qazana follows in Qashqai’s wheel tracks by challenging convention. Externally Qazana adds a number of existing Nissan design cues – including a variation on the ‘boomerang’ rear light theme from 370Z – to a highly distinctive shape that’s unlike anything else in the company’s current design portfolio.” Access to the interior is aided by a pair of rear-hinged doors, eliminating restrictive B-pillars. The interior itself is finished in a contrasting set of hard and soft materials, including mesh fabric, carbonfibre and metal. Although purely a show car, Nissan has announced that a small crossover – a baby brother to Qashqai – will be built at the company’s Sunderland factory in the UK. So something quite similar could be on the roads soon.
Read the full story and see more pics in the May 2009 issue of Topcar.