Nissan have lifted their game massively in the past decade with a string of releases that rivaled anything on the market. From 2003, the 350Z, Nissan Leaf and GT-R helped to cement Nissan as serious contenders in the auto world. And their latest two UK releases, the 2014 Qashqai and NV200, very much continue this run of good form.

2014 Qashqai

The first generation Qashqai proved to be a big success for Nissan upon release, mixing solid off-road ability with medium hatchback running costs. Nobody – not even Nissan – envisaged the sale of 100,000 Qashqais in their first year of production. Bit in fact the Qashqai went on to sell over twice it's estimate in the first year, and those sales have not dwindled since. And although it's taken Nissan over seven years to produce a follow-up, the 2014 Qashqai seems destined to outdo its popular predecessor. Easily the best all-rounder in the range, the 1.5 litre diesel has an outstanding fuel economy of 74.3 mpg and low enough CO2 emissions to qualify for free car tax in the UK, where it was released last month. The Qashqai doesn't scrimp on performance either, with an acceleration of 62 miles per hour in just under 12 seconds. Not bad at all. Also available in the range are the 1.2 Acenta Premium and the top spec 4WD Qashqai.

Nissan NV200

As far as London is concerned its farewell to the Hackney carriage and welcome to the city's new black cab: the Nissan NV200. Unveiled in the capital at the start of the year, the NV200 boasts a number of advantages over the traditional London cab, namely far lower running costs, easy wheelchair accessibility (which will give Allied Mobility a run for their money) and a much higher level of reliability that the bespoke Hackney carriage. Similar models are now in operation throughout the world – in New, Tokyo and Barcelona – and already proving massively popular. Whether that'll be enough to convince the cabbies of England's capital or not is another matter. But with an anticipated 40 mpg and far lower CO2 emissions than it's predecessor, they may not have much say in the debate.

Innovation and Commitment to Quality

With the 2014 Qashqai, Nissan continues it good run of form in the UK with a pair of vehicles that highlight the company's innovation and commitment to quality. Only time will tell what lies on the horizon for Nissan in 2015.