Hampshire Man Takes Delivery Of Landmark Qashqai

LONDON – Feb 4, 2014: A Hampshire man who founded the Qashqai Club - an independent online community for fans of Nissan’s record-breaking crossover – has taken delivery of a landmark example of the newly-launched model.

Frankie Hipwell-Larkin, of Denmead, collected the keys to number 0001 of 2007 limited edition Qashqai Premier Limited Edition models from local dealer, WKB Nissan, in Waterlooville.

The 46 year-old company director placed his order for the stunning limited edition model – available exclusively to owners of the first generation car – within hours of all-new Qashqai’s official global unveiling in London in November, walking into the Elettra Avenue dealership to place his deposit.

And his quick actions were rewarded with the delivery of the very first Premier Limited Edition model to roll off the production line at Nissan’s Sunderland factory.

Climbing behind the wheel for the first time, Frankie beamed: “I’m absolutely delighted.

“I’ve been looking forward to the launch of the new model for a long time and now it’s here, and I’m able to drive it away, it’s fantastic.

“Knowing my model is number one of 2007 makes it extra special and is a nice bit of added kudos.”

He added: “I launched the Qashqai Club to provide a forum for owners to get together, chat and share information and it’s really clear to see that Nissan really listened to our 7,500 members when developing the new Qashqai. That’s terrific.”

Gary Harmar, Dealer Principal at WKB Nissan, was delighted his dealership was able to play a part in the next chapter of the Qashqai – a true British success story.

He said: “The new Qashqai is a fantastic car and we’ve been inundated with interest but it’s a real source of pride to be able to present the first Qashqai Premier Limited Edition model to one of our customers.

“Frankie has been a very valuable customer of ours for a long time now and I’m sure he’ll absolutely love his new car.”

Based on the range-topping Tekna model, the Qashqai Premier Limited Edition showcases Nissan's passion for accessible technology and bold design.

Equipment unique to the Premier Limited Edition includes special part leather and Alcantara trim, a dark roof liner, custom dark carpets, chrome side door sills, front lip and tailgate lower finisher and special Premier-branded kick plates. The stone coloured seats surrounded by the black carpet and black headliner provide a striking contrast, while each model features a personalised numbered badge.

The Premier Limited Edition also comes with the Tekna's extensive array of design and technology features as standard. The exterior design is enhanced by 19-inch alloy wheels and sector-first Bi-LED headlamps and roof rails. The cabin is equipped with heated front seats, new NissanConnect entertainment and navigation system, and a panoramic glass roof.

Nissan's advanced Safety Shield is also fitted as standard, featuring a wealth of advanced technology features including: Front Collision Avoidance, Driver Attention Support, Traffic Sign Recognition, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Warning, Moving Object Detection and High Beam Assist.

The Premier Limited Edition Qashqai is available in Pearl Black and is powered by a 1.6 dCi engine featuring Nissan's advanced ALL-MODE 4x4-i system as standard.

Redesigned from the ground up, the new Qashqai has been created to meet the demands and expectations of next-generation crossover buyers. Every element of the new car - from the new cabin that offers more space, higher quality materials and greater practicality to premium technologies that take occupant protection to a new level - has been re-thought, re-engineered and re-imagined.

The all-new new Qashqai range is available to pre-order now with prices starting from £17,595.