I have noticed that we are often carried away by the trend, following the bandwagon and paying attention to particular car brands. Much of the focus in the world of automobiles is given to brands like Toyota, Honda, Peugeot, Mercedes Benz, and so on. However, there are some brands that just keep gaining ground on a low key, producing amazing products for its own customers, intentional or not.

Nissan is one of such brands. Fully called Nissan Jidōsha, the Japanese auto brand is a multifaceted car maker, marketing its brand under three different sub-brands, namely Nissan, Datsun, and Infiniti. Its offerings range from Automobiles, luxury vehicles, and commercial vehicles, to outboard motors, and forklift trucks. As at 2016, it had a production output of more than five million units.

While the major stakeholder of Nissan is Renault holding more than 43% shares in the company, Nissan Group and Mitsubishi are other shareholders. Nissan also happens to be the leading Japanese auto brand in Russia, China and Mexico, while it was announced in 2013 as the sixth-largest automaker globally, only after brands like Toyota, General Motors, Volkswagen, Hyundai and Ford.

Nissan X-Trail

This spectacular automobile collection is a compact crossover first produced in the year 2000. With Nigerians and the rest of the world already savouring the goodness that earlier models, such as Pathfinder and Xterra, brought, we didn’t realize that another special package was being prepared. Recent releases though, especially with the third generation present the vehicle with a longer frame, causing a rethink, and it is now called a mid-size crossover.

While it is Nissan’s first crossover, it came at a time when the company needed to compete favourably with other brands who were also just producing crossovers for the global market. So we had releases like the Suzuki Grand Vitara, Mazda Tribute Sibling, Ford Escape, Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4, and the Honda CR-V gaining entrance into the market. With such tough brands making their way in, it is amazing that the Nissan X Trail got as much attention as it did.

Nissan Qashqai

Coming on board six years after the X-Trail was produced, the Qashqai had to present something different. Indeed, it did. It is a unique and compact crossover SUV. The first generation of the Qashqai had the name Nissan Dualis in countries like Japan and Australia. The second generation, which is still the newest version, released in 2014, is sold as the Qashqai in most countries except the United States where it is called the Nissan Rogue Sport.

The Nissan Qashqai has used several body platforms since it was first introduced. Specifically, it replaced the body-on-frame Mistral/Terrano II style and has also seen the more recent P32L platform, which is going to be used by subsequent models as well. And for those who do not know, Qashqai is a local term for “a horse with a white forehead”. The first generation (J10) was produced between 2006 and 2013, while the second generation (J11) has been produced since 2013 till date.

Nissan X Trail Price in Nigeria (Tokunbo)

• Nissan X Trail 2004 === N2,400,000 – N3,500,000
• Nissan X Trail 2.0 2005 === N2,500,000 – N4,000,000
• Nissan X Trail 2012 === N5,000,000 – N6,500,000

Nigerian Used Nissan Xtrail Prices

• Nissan X Trail 2004 === N1,000,000 – N1,800,000
• Nissan X Trail 2005 === N1,300,000 – N2,000,000
• Nissan X Trail 2012 === N3,800,000 – N5,000,000

Nissan Qashqai Prices in Nigeria

The Nissan Qashqai which has two generations in Nigeria produced since 2006 has brand new vehicles as well as foreign used and Nigerian used variants. However, for the purpose of this post, we will take a look at the prices of the tokunbo and Nigerian used Nissan Qashqai vehicles in Nigeria.

Nissan Qashqai Prices in Nigeria (Tokunbo)

• Nissan Qashqai 2007 === N3,200,000 – N4,500,000
• Nissan Qashqai 2008 (White) === N3,500,000 – N5,000,000
• Nissan Qashqai 2013 === N4,000,000 – N5,500,000
• Nissan Qashqai 4WD 2014 === N4,300,000 – N5,300,000
• Nissan Qashqai 2015 === N11,000,000 – N15,000,000
• Nissan Qashqai 2016 === N12,500,000 – N16,000,000
• Nissan Qashqai 2017 === N13,000,000 – N17,000,000

Nissan Qashqai Prices in Nigeria (Nigerian Used)

• Nissan Qashqai 2007 === N2,000,000 – N3,800,000
• Nissan Qashqai 2013 === N2,400,000 – N4,500,000
• Nissan Qashqai 2014 === N2,500,000 – N5,000,000
• Nissan Qashqai 2015 === N3,000,000 – N6,000,000
• Nissan Qashqai 2016 === N4,500,000 – N6,500,000
• Nissan Qashqai 2017 === N7,800,000 – N11,000,000

Things you should know about Nissan X Trail and Qashqai

There are amazing similarities between the two brands for obvious reasons. The Qashqai succeeded the X Trail and was proposed as an improvement on the former. The two models are known to possess amazing features and have taken a fair share of the market since the first one was produced.

The X Trail can be powered by the SR20VET engine (Japan) that produces 206 kW (280 ps), QR25DE 2.5 L four-cylinder engine (Australia) initially producing 132 kW (177 hp), QR20DE four-cylinder engine, producing 103 kW (140 hp) for manual or 110 kW (150 hp) and for automatic transmission, and the YD22DDTi, a 2.2 litre turbocharged common rail diesel engine, used in the United Kingdom.

The Qashqai, on the other hand, has moved from the 1.6 L HR16DE I4 (petrol), 2.0 L MR20DE I4 (petrol), 1.6 L R9M I4 (diesel), and 2.0 L M9R I4 (diesel) in its first generation to the more recently produced 1.6 L I4 (petrol) and 2.0 L MR20DE I4 engines.

What you’d like about the X Trail and Qashqai

• Driving Suitability: With the diesel and petrol engines, the X Trail is amazing to drive, and so is the Qashqai. However, to ensure maximum performance, I’d suggest you go for the diesel.
• Interior Layout: The driving position on the two models is very comfy as a result of lumbar support on the driver’s seat. The interior also parades a armrest, adjustable seat height, and a beautifully laid out dashboard for convenience.
• Space: For the X Trail, there is an optional third row of seats that makes it able to take about 7 people. The Qashqai, on the other hand, has great space and lots of headroom too- something the X Trail lacks.
• Affordability: Considering fuel economy and resale value, these models are actually very competitive when compared with certain brands in its category.

What you may not like in the X Trail and Qashqai

One issue you may have with these SUVs is the wobbling you may experience when it gets into potholes or over bumps. It takes some time to regain balance. Apart from that, efficiency might be an issue on the long run too. Just take your time, figure out what works for you and go for it.

Getting spare parts may also be an issue as well. Although the parts are not really expensive, their availability still raises a lot of questions.