The Qashqai +2 had accounted for 20% of the old car’s sales mix in the UK – some 9-10,000 units per year – but Nissan said many of those customers were opting into the larger model for its extra boot space rather than the third row of seats.

Introducing the same 1.6-litre dCi diesel engine and two-wheel drive into the X-Trail is expected to radically alter its appeal in the corporate sector. The outgoing car has found most of its fleet demand with those who have a job need for four-wheel drive, and retail customers accounted for 75% of the 2,500 sold per year in the UK.

The X-TRAIL's lower pricing and CO2 reduction will allow it to pick up a significant share of those customers, with annual sales expected to reach between 9,000 and 11,000 units, the retail share of which will drop to 60%.

Fleet orders are expected to be weighted towards the 1.6 dCi with five seats and two-wheel drive, offering CO2 emissions of 129g/km and fuel economy at 57.6mpg. 

In addition to Qashqai +2 customers, the X-Trail’s less slab-sided design and drop in fuel and SMR costs and a residual value uplift are expected to help conquest sales from the C and D-segments, with demand weighted towards the top end of the range.

A larger load capacity in the Qashqai is expected to help the smaller crossover maintain customers who needed extra space over its five-seat predecessor, but don’t need to move up to the X-TRAIL. Four-wheel drive will be available higher up the X-TRAIL range to cater for those who need the additional traction.

The X-TRAIL goes on sale alongside a refreshed version of the Nissan Juke, which gains the same 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol used in the new Qashqai. Replacing the 1.6 non-turbo at the entry-point of the range, it slashes CO2 emissions from 138g/km to 129g/km, while fuel economy rises from 47.1mpg to 51.4mpg. Nissan expects a 5% shift towards petrol engines from the Juke's fleet customer base.