The facelifted Nissan Qashqai is on sale now priced from £19,295, with production already under way at the brand's Sunderland plant.
The latest model is £500 more expensive than the previous car, but it gains a host of additional technical features.
A new range-topping trim has been added, along with more aggressive front end design and, from spring 2018, new Propilot semi-autonomous technology.
When this is implemented, the Qashqai will be one of the first mainstream SUVs to offer semi-autonomous technology. It will be able to steer, accelerate and brake itself in a single lane on the motorway.
At a later stage, the system will be updated so that it can change lanes by itself. Nissan says by 2020 the Qashqai will be able to navigate through junctions.
"The experience we are delivering to customers inside the cars will be calming and quieter," Nissan's vice-president of product planning for Europe, Ponz Pandikuthira, told Autocar earlier this year. "It is the technology that makes the Qashqai a game-changing car."
The Qashqai has been a global sales sensation for Nissan since its launch in 2006, kick-starting a crossover boom that continues to sweep across the automotive industry.
However, in recent years the Qashqai has faced growing competition from a number of other manufacturers. Cars like the Seat Ateca, Volkswagen Tiguan and Kia Sportage are providing tough rivalry, so this facelift is Nissan’s chance to reassert its dominance in the segment.
Upgrades to the interior of the facelifted Qashqai include a new-look infotainment system and a new steering wheel with updated multi-function controls.
An updated options list now includes a seven-speaker sound system, while a new Tekna+ trim tops the range, aimed at the growing market of premium buyers. Tekna+ features new alloy wheels, nappa leather seats and more luxurious materials around the centre console, and it will push the Qashqai into rivalry with premium crossovers such as the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.
Engines will be carried over from the existing Qashqai. That means there will be the same choice of 1.2-litre and 1.6-litre petrol options, as well as 1.5-litre and 1.6-litre diesels.
Safety equipment has been upgraded, too. The automatic emergency braking now gets pedestrian detection, while there’s a rear cross-traffic alert to help while reversing.
The Qashqai will be built at Nissan's Sunderland plant alongside the Leaf, which is set to be replaced later this year, and Juke, as well as the Q30 and QX30 of sub-brand Infiniti. Sunderland's output last year was 507,436 vehicles.
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Over 25% more expensive than 10 years ago
It's suprising to see how much some car prices have gone up during the past 10 years. Ok, there may not necessarily be a like for like equivalent to the cheapest Qasqhai when the first generation model was launched in 2007, but back then the entry level model cost around £5k-£6k less than the cheapest version of this new facelifted model.
Weedy and thirsty
Not only the engines are