Returning customers drive early Nissan Qashqai interest

The all-new Nissan Qashqai has inspired record levels of pre-launch interest, thanks largely to the strength of the outgoing model, says Nissan Motor GB crossover product manager Cedric Benouarieche.

Last year, it accounted for 41% of Nissan’s UK volume, and remained number one in the C-SUV sector “despite now facing more than 30 rivals”. Customer satisfaction for the Qashqai also plays a role – “customers rate it the number one C-SUV in terms of overall opinion”.

The new car is therefore a so-called “super-evolution” of the outgoing second-generation model, rather than an entirely new concept. Nissan has responded to a customer demand for “premiumness”, modernised the design, introduced an electrified (and petrol-only) engine range, plus what Cedric describes as “best-in-class connectivity”.

However, the new Qashqai has not grown excessively on the outside, and its appearance keeps the family look of its predecessors – for those who want a really radical appearance, Nissan will be launching the pure electric Ariya, a similarly-sized SUV, later in 2021.

Preordering opened in April and current figures show 80% existing and 20% conquest. “In the first months, it’s always the most loyal customers who drive sales,” said Cedric. “The fact 80% of retail buyers are on a PCP also helps here.”

In the build-up to launch, Nissan found an innovative way to get around lockdown restrictions – by booking out space at Millbrook for product experts with video cameras and headsets to give customers online virtual tours of the new model. “Appointments were booked online, and the product experts gave them a live personal tour of the vehicle, answering any questions as they went. “These leads were then sent to the customers’ local retailer.”

It’s proven so successful that the virtual tour initiative has been extended, particularly as “we’ve found some people are still reluctant to visit dealers in person due to the pandemic”.

Following on from this, Nissan arranged for six cars to take a six-week tour of the UK retailer network. “We encouraged retailers to contact their most loyal customers and book a 30-miniute appointment to see the car,” said Cedric. “It was fully Covid-compliant, and enabled people see the car for real. Test drives weren’t possible, but it still helped encourage loyal customers to pre order. Feedback from the network was that they really appreciated this initiative.”