New Nissan will debut in London

A stretched version of the Nissan Qashqai with seven seats will go on sale in the UK from October this year.

The Qashqai+2 is 211mm longer overall to accommodate the extra pair of rear seats.

This third row of seats stores under the boot floor, leaving it completely flat when not in use.

When the individual third row seats are raised, Nissan says they can be used for children and teenagers.

The Qashqai+2's roof and rear windows have been restyled to allow greater headroom and give the third row passengers a good view out.

With the seats occupied, there's a large underfloor storage area that can be covered for greater security.

Weighing in at 100kg more than the standard five-seat Qashqai, the +2 will be offered with two petrol and two turbodiesel engines.

Before the launch of the seven-seat Qashqai, Nissan is also teaming up with six internationally renowned street artists to display their work on the Tate Modern rather than just inside thanks to the first ever exhibition of its kind in the UK.

Nissan is funding the show, which will feature artists from all over the world, and is part of a new advertising campaign for the Japanese firm's Qashqai SUV.

A new television advert is on its way in mid-April for the Qashqai that shows the city coming to life to play with the car.

The advert is directed by Danny Kleinmann, who directed the title sequence for the most recent James Bond film Casino Royale.

Each of the six artists displaying at Tate Modern will spray paint their work directly onto the outside of the building.

To make sure as many people as possible see these new art works, Nissan is organising tours of existing street art sites and providing maps of the best places to view the Tate Modern exhibition.

Alisdair Suttie