There’s no denying the overwhelming success of the crossover market and Nissan, which claims to have invented the segment when it launched the Qashqai, is celebrating the amazing achievements of the vehicle.

The Qashqai, which is built in Sunderland, is celebrating its 10th anniversary and with more than 3.3 million global sales, it is the model that all other manufacturers are trying to chase down.

The vehicle offers the practicality of an SUV with the size, efficiency and performance of a compact hatchback. The first generation of the Nissan Qashqai went on sale in February 2007 and was an instant hit. Almost 100,000 models were sold across Europe before the end of the year, and Nissan has not looked back ever since.

The car has won more than 80 awards, including 19 that declared it as the “Car of the Year”.

Paul Willcox, chairman of Nissan Europe, said: “When the Qashqai launched in 2007 it was unique in the market place. It has remained as the number one crossover because it has stayed true to its original ideals, and because we have innovated and consistently added technology through the life of the car.”

Nissan’s pioneering spirit has unquestionably changed the European car market. In the decade since the Qashqai was launched, crossover sales in Europe have gone from zero to 2.6 million units in 2016 alone.

Almost all mainstream automotive brands now have a Qashqai rival, with 21 direct competitors currently on sale.

In 2016 Nissan sold 261,429 Qashqai models in Europe giving the car a 10 per cent market share – a 5.2 per cent growth over the previous 12 months. And success has spread beyond Europe, with sales across 137 countries worldwide.