Buyers’ desire for versatile and affordable family cars has driven a great deal of change in the car industry, and the mid-size SUV is arguably the end result. The wave of SUV-inspired crossover vehicles that accounts for so many new-car sales today was spearheaded by the still popular Nissan Qashqai, which proved that a sturdy and practical yet compact vehicle was just what families were looking for.
Although there were medium-sized SUVs long before the Qashqai appeared, including the Mitsubishi Shogun and Vauxhall Frontera, very few of them were as versatile and easy to live with. Many were merely shrunken versions of larger off-roaders and somewhat over-engineered for family life, while others - like those listed above - were simply too agricultural to be truly enjoyable. The first Qashqai, on the other hand, was a model that offered all the everyday versatility of an SUV but the running costs and road manners of a small hatchback.
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Medium size SUVs including the Hyundai Tucson and Peugeot 3008 have become a force to be reckoned with; many UK buyers now choose this kind of car over a conventional family hatchback or estate, cars that don’t offer the raised driving position, extensive luggage compartment and adventurous image. It seems that every month another carmaker gets in on the act with an offering of its own, so this class has never been so competitive.