It’s no secret that the C-segment sedan market has shrunk globally. In Malaysia, this has been especially pronounced. Only the Honda Civic seems to be convincing buyers to stay on.
It’s also no secret that most of the traditional sedan buyers have moved to crossovers and SUVs of equivalent size and value, maybe just a tad more expensive. This is what the consumers want, like it or not.
So it’s a bit of a shame that Malaysians never got an officially supported, locally-assembled version of the Nissan Qashqai.
We know there’s a Singapore and UK version which ought to work perfectly in our market. Maybe ETCM could not see a business case for it, opting instead for the new X-Trail.
I can’t help but wonder whether the Qashqai would have been a better option. It has the kind of ‘ambitious’ image that Malaysians seem to enjoy paying more for.
