Today this car model is one of the most popular among Russian car enthusiasts. There are a number of reasons for this: accessibility, style, comfort, practicality. And therefore, many are interested in where Nissan Qashqai is assembled, especially the 2021 model. And this is a really important question. Among the models sold, there are those that are produced and assembled in Japan, some are assembled in the UK, and there are those that are assembled in Russia. And many are interested in the differences, similarities and where Nissan Qashqai does better.
Who assembles Nissan Qashqai
The Nissan Qashqai model is assembled in three countries. In each country, this process is streamlined and controlled by the manufacturer. There are a number of small nuances that vary, but this does not fundamentally affect the quality of the machine.
Here's where Nissan Qashqai is assembled:
- Japan.
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- Russian Federation.
Of course, the model is assembled in the country where the manufacturing company is located. However, in addition to Japan, it was decided to organize Nissan Qashqai assemblies in Russia and Britain, since both countries have domestic demand and are receptive to such a solution. Perhaps one day Nissan Qashqai will be assembled somewhere else, but there is no need for this now.
Plans for the assembly of the new generation Nissan Qashqai in Russia
Most manufacturers that are represented in our country try to localize the assembly of their cars in Russia, because with this action they get certain price advantages, and our labor costs much less than in England or Japan. Therefore, localization of production is a priority issue for large and popular companies.
Nissan Qashqai is also planned to be assembled in Russia, at a plant near St. Petersburg, where the Nissan Almera sedan is already produced. But at the end of 2014, assembly of this crossover for Europe and the CIS countries is carried out only in England. For Japan and America, the car is assembled at the corporation's Japanese plant. The English assembly, which is presented today in showrooms, has the following features:
- the highest level of build quality, no complaints about the company’s craftsmanship;
- complementing the majestic image of the new Qashqai with good impressions of quality;
- increasing the reliability of the car and improving all its characteristics in the internal space;
- organization of a good driving position in which it is pleasant to hold on to the controls of the car;
- full compliance of high build quality with the owner's expectations from this car.
The British tried to assemble the car to the highest possible quality, which is why the Nissan Qashqai has become quite popular in Europe. Despite the high quality and enormous cost of assembling the car in England, Nissan managed to make the crossover quite affordable, which cannot but please potential owners of cars of this class.
Today, the Qashqai is considered the most optimal purchase in the class of family crossovers, because the car provides an excellent level of safety not only for the driver and front passenger, but also for the little inhabitants of the rear space of the car. This makes the car doubly attractive to most buyers, because the safety of transporting children turns out to be the main purchase criterion for many.
Where is Nissan Qashqai assembled for Russia?
In 2009, they organized it near St. Petersburg. Since then, Nissan Qashqai has been assembled there for the Russian market. However, this is not the only place where they do this, because the plant is not a monopolist in this regard. AvtoVAZ also assembles Nissan Qashqai.
However, it is worth noting that even this is not enough for Russia. Local car enthusiasts really fell in love with this car. Therefore, those who could not get a Russian-assembled Nissan Qashqai are forced to buy a Japanese or British assembly version. The relevance of a particular Nissan Qashqai largely depends on the region of residence.
This problem in Russia also applies to the 2021 model. So far, not everyone gets a cheap Russian assembly, which is not inferior to options from overseas, and in some ways superior to them (but only in relation to local conditions).
In general, it is worth noting that Nissan, like any other automaker, is interested in having as many assembly sites as possible organized in the Russian Federation and other countries where Nissan Qashqai is popular. This allows you to significantly reduce production costs, and therefore increase profits. Therefore, most likely, if possible, several more places will appear in the Russian Federation and not only where Qashqai gathers.
Adaptation of Nissan cars for Russia
The adaptation of the Japanese brand's cars takes into account the quality of the surface of domestic roads and the peculiarities of our winters. That is why the conditional name of the preparation is “Package for bad roads”. Engineering changes affect:
- shock absorbers and springs (options adapted for Russian roads are used);
- stabilizers (increased cross-section);
- ground clearance (increased to 20 cm, except for diesel versions, where 18.5 cm is left);
- lower components of the car (protective elements are installed for the oil pan, transmission, fuel line).
In severe winter conditions, the driver may need a battery with a larger capacity and a reinforced generator. Qashqais prepared for cold weather are assembled with heated washer nozzles; the rest zone of the wipers also requires “warming”. An innovation is an increase in the capacity of the washer reservoir. And installing a crankcase heater makes it easier to start the internal combustion engine at high subzero temperatures. The problem of poor interior heating is solved by using an additional heater.
The peculiarities of the road surface in our country force manufacturers to equip Qashqai cars with a full-size spare wheel. In Europe, it has long been practiced to save space in the luggage compartment, equip cars with tire repair kits and kits for “field” tire repair. If we are talking about diesel engines, then, taking into account the quality of the fuel sold at gas stations, engineers modify them by installing additional filters.
Which assembly is better to choose?
Many people are interested in whose production Nissan Qashqai is better to choose in terms of assembly. And there is no clear answer here. Both the Japanese, the British, and the Russian assembly have advantages and disadvantages for Russian car enthusiasts. So it’s worth sorting them out.
Japanese version
The Japanese assembly is good because it simply warms the soul of connoisseurs of the brand by the very fact that it was assembled in Japan by the hands of the Japanese. However, the disadvantage of such a Nissan Qashqai is that you will have to significantly overpay for adaptation, transportation and transportation across the border.
Perhaps in the future the Japanese version of the Nissan Qashqai will have a new plus if the build quality in Russia and Britain drops. After all, Japan is the country where the production of this car is located, which means that the likelihood of deterioration in build quality there is extremely low. This would cause serious damage to the brand's reputation.
English version
The British version of the Nissan Qashqai is of good quality, but as with the Japanese version, adaptation to Russian conditions will be required. You will also have to pay for the passage of the car through customs and for transportation.
It is, of course, closer to take such a Nissan Qashqai to Moscow, but in general the way to the Russian border is further than from Japan. Therefore, it is better for connoisseurs of foreign assemblies from the Far East to take a closer look, perhaps, at the Japanese assembly.
Domestic version
The Nissan Qashqai assembly carried out in the Russian Federation is best suited for most Russian car enthusiasts. In this case, some local negative factors do not affect the quality of the machine. Here too, the manufacturer makes sure that everything is assembled exactly as planned, and that the parts are of the proper quality.
Unlike the Japanese or British version, a Nissan Qashqai is assembled in Russia, where everything is already adapted for the car enthusiast from these places. The machine is adapted to climatic conditions, the characteristics of the road surface or the lack thereof. In addition, such a model, of course, will be cheaper.
Here are the costs that disappear when choosing a Russian-assembled Nissan Qashqai:
- for transportation across the border at customs;
- payment for transportation of the finished car;
- fee for adaptation to local conditions.
Moreover, the quality is no worse than that of the British or Japanese assembly version. The only thing that is, perhaps, a practical disadvantage is that the car is not best suited for European conditions, unlike the same British version. But this will only be a disadvantage for those who plan to regularly travel throughout the European Union. And even then this minus is barely noticeable.
Based on this, it is worth saying a few words separately about the Russian assembly of Nissan Qashqai. To dispel some stereotypes. The manufacturer controls the quality of the machine from start to finish. Local professionals ensure that it is a quality product suitable for local conditions. These are people who have been working in the field for several decades and know their business. It is important to understand that they will do a better job of assembling for Russian car enthusiasts than the Japanese, simply because they are better familiar with local specifics.
The Russian-assembled Nissan Qashqai is a comfortable car. The fuel tank is unified and is a reservoir with a capacity of sixty liters. This is a good volume, which allows you to use the car for traveling long distances. The interior is comfortable and ergonomic. In a word, there is nothing wrong with taking a Russian-assembled Nissan Qashqai.
Build quality
The most important advantage of Nissan Qashqai is its high and competent build quality. The owners claim that this car meets all the necessary standards of Japanese production. Although the manufacturer used plastic to trim the car’s interior, the material turned out to be of quite high quality. Even after a long time after use, drivers will not hear any extraneous sounds or unpleasant squeaks. It doesn’t matter where Nissan Qashqai is produced, each car turns out to be reliable and comfortable. The owners are very pleased with the car with a variator, which is produced by the Japanese company CVT. A car with this type of gearbox is quite easy to drive and the transmission does not malfunction during long-term operation.
The only thing you can find fault with is the inconvenient location of such interior parts as: the glove compartment, power window buttons and seat heating buttons. But for some this is not a disadvantage; it is rather a subjective disadvantage rather than a general one. The Nissan Qashqai crossover has gone through a lot, but despite all this, it has overcome all obstacles and retained its status as a leader in its class. Still, the highest quality assembly is English. Since 2007, more than two million crossovers produced by the British company have been purchased worldwide. After restyling, this car model became much lighter. This was achieved through the use of practical parts and materials. Only cars with a gasoline engine are supplied to our market, but in Europe they sell hybrid and diesel Nissan Qashqai crossovers.
Differences between the Russian-assembled Nissan Qashqai and the English version
The first generation of Qashqai appeared 10 years ago, and, of course, since then a lot has been said about this car, and the number of fans and opponents is approximately the same. Let's find out the features of the Russian-assembled Nissan Qashqai.
The plant in St. Petersburg is at least 7 years old. About $200 million was spent on the construction of the first stage, and the same amount was invested in the second. As a result, its capacity was 100 thousand cars per year, and it is possible to assemble up to 5 different models.
