A 50-strong team of...

A 50-strong team of designers at the company"s Paddington base have created the four-wheel-drive crossover vehicle to meet the demand of buyers looking for the ruggedness of an off-roader combined with the comfort of an ordinary estate. The car will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

Named after a nomadic tribe in Iran, the Qashqai features various unique touches, several of which are likely to appear on future Nissan models. Individual seats can be folded flat to make way for anything from the weekly shop to a mountain bike. One key design element is the lack of a B-pillar. This has allowed for much wider opening side doors that are rear-hinged, and operate in the same way as those on the Mazda RX-8.