Nissan Qazana

Nissan looks set to have a fairly busy Geneva motor show. Top of the bill will be the new Qazana. It’s a compact crossover, and along the lines of a scaled-down Qashqai. The latter has been a hugely successful model for Nissan, the SUV/hatch helping the company post some respectable sales figures in the current climate.

Little else is known, other than that the Qazana is an all-UK effort. Its design and development have all took place in Britain while the car will replace Micra production at Nissan’s factory in Sunderland from 2010. That safeguards 1100 jobs at the North East plant that has recently seen its first major job cuts.

Also on Nissan’s Geneva show stand will be the 370Z, getting its first European public appearance, and the Cube which comes to Europe for the first time in November. It has been a bit of an icon in its Japanese homeland for years and has attracted a bit of a hardcore fanbase over here. It will finally be available officially with a 109bhp 1.6-litre petrol and 105bhp 1.5-litre diesel on offer.

Come back to evo.co.uk from March 3 to get the latest live stories from Geneva, including the unveil of the Qazana concept.