Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Ariya

Nissan X-Trail

is-this-the-new-nissan-supermini

Nissan turned up early to the SUV party, with its Qashqai paving the way for the countless models we see today. The Qashqai continues to sell in big numbers in the UK, too, and was also our overall Car of the Year in 2014.

Don’t think Nissan is just about SUVs, though. As well as the Qashqai, the smaller Juke and the larger X-Trail, the Japanese brand has the Micra hatchback, GT-R sports car and Navara pick-up truck.

Nissan was also one of the first big car makers to launch a fully electric car, with its latest Leaf being one of the best on the market.

Despite being based in Japan, Nissan has long committed to building cars in the UK, making several of its best-selling models at a huge factory in Sunderland.

NISSAN

Last week, Nissan announced that it will launch a new small car in 2010 based on styling from the Qashqai and 350Z.Now there are suggestions that the car will be based on Nissan's Azeal Coupe Concept, which was first shown in 2005.The concept car was powered by a turbocharged 2.5-litre petrol engine and included outlandish styling features, such as 19-inch alloy wheels - big for such a small car.

However, the production version is expected to have more sombre styling and focus on small, efficient engines.At the time of the Azeal's launch, Nissan's vice-president of design, Bruce Campbell, said: 'An entry-level vehicle doesn't have to look entry-level.'Although the Azeal has the compact dimensions of a small coupe, it projects a much larger presence in terms of style, personality and desirability.'

Last week, Nissan announced that it will launch a new small car in 2010 based on styling from the Qashqai and 350Z.

Now there are suggestions that the car will be based on Nissan's Azeal Coupe Concept, which was first shown in 2005.The concept car was powered by a turbocharged 2.5-litre petrol engine and included outlandish styling features, such as 19-inch alloy wheels - big for such a small car.However, the production version is expected to have more sombre styling and focus on small, efficient engines.At the time of the Azeal's launch, Nissan's vice-president of design, Bruce Campbell, said: 'An entry-level vehicle doesn't have to look entry-level.'Although the Azeal has the compact dimensions of a small coupe, it projects a much larger presence in terms of style, personality and desirability.'