Nissan Qashqai, special livery for the crossover’s 20th anniversary

Nissan Qashqai marks the 20-year milestone since its debut in 2006, the year in which the history of the compact SUV segment also began. To celebrate the anniversary, Nissan unveils an unprecedented livery that recalls the creativity, optimism and cultural vitality of the 2000s, the decade of the original crossover’s debut.

The model’s record shows broad growth. In Europe, more than 4.1 million units have been sold, with a further 500,000 built for global markets. In Italy, registrations total 318,000 from launch to today. Between January and October 2026, Qashqai has recorded 16,364 registrations in the mild-hybrid and e-POWER variants, marking a +14% increase over the same period in 2025.

The livery was developed with digital artist @heymoonly and features a “sticker bomb” style graphic, with neon colours and references to contemporary digital art. The same theme is also found in the cabin, enhanced by details in pure Y2K style: velvet seat covers, a coloured steering wheel cover, pop CDs from the era and a perfectly functioning iPod with a dedicated playlist.

“Twenty years ago Nissan Qashqai challenged automotive conventions by creating a category that transformed the European market,” said Massimiliano Messina, Chairperson of the Nissan AMIEO Region, to FormulaPassion.

The model’s history

According to Quattroruote, the project’s origins date back to 2002, when Nissan began developing a new generation of the Almera intended for the European market. After nine months, however, that path was abandoned and the company chose a different idea, designed for the European market and without the V6 under the bonnet. The same source also recalls that at the Italian launch the promotional price was under 18,000 euros.

Qashqai then continued to evolve. In 2008, the Qashqai+2 arrived, the stretched seven-seat version with a third row of seats. In 2014, the second series made its debut, with a more modern design, a more refined cabin and an advance on the technology front. Under the bodywork, the CMF-C modular platform was adopted, born within the Renault-Nissan Alliance and also used on the Renault Kadjar. Quattroruote also notes that the all-wheel-drive versions have remained a minority share of sales, while the majority of customers chose the model for its SUV setup and raised driving position.