Three years after launching the second generation Qashqai, Nissan is hard at work developing its successor.
Believed to hit the assembly lines in 2018 or 2019, the replacement of the popular SUV will take an important step into the future by adopting the first version of the ProPilot – Traffic Jam Pilot as an option, according to AutoExpress, which cites the brand’s European Technical Center’s Vice President, Takashi Shirakawa.
“In Japan, the option [available on Serena], is around 200,000 Yen ($1,760), so it could sell it for around £1,500 ($1,910) in the UK“, Shirakawa said.
Set to be released by the turn of the decade, the second and third variations of the ProPilot, referred to as the Highway Pilot and Intercity Pilot recpectivelly, will take the technology to a different level. The former will allow the cars to change lanes automatically and to overtake other vehicles on motorways, while the latter will focus on urban driving.
However, future owners of the third-gen Nissan Qashqai who will opt for the Traffic Jam Pilot won’t be able to upgrade to the newer versions, like for example Tesla does with its Autopilot.
“The second and third generations will use different kinds of sensors. The ProPilot One uses cameras to identify traffic ahead of vehicles, there may be a software in the future, but these cameras cannot allow for more advanced autonomy like overtaking on motorways. Our product is quite different from Tesla’s. Tesla is premium price“, Shirakawa added.
Besides the next-gen Qashqai, the ProPilot One is also expected to be features on other Nissan models in the future, including the next Micra, as the company’s official announced: “Most Micra customers are cost conscious. Cost is a huge priority, so we need to look at how much European customers are willing to spend. But I believe, personally, that even Micra customers can pay a £1,500 option in the UK market.“
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