A dramatic new concept car from Nissan, to be given its World Premiere at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, heralds a possible new design direction for the company.
Called the Nissan Hi-Cross Concept, the proposal looks at ways to extend Nissan's leadership of the crossover market with a possible expansion of the current Juke-Qashqai-Murano portfolio. Created in Japan, Hi-Cross Concept is compact yet surprisingly roomy, elegant yet purposeful and - being a Nissan - it's clever with it.
Its 'smartness' takes two forms. Despite its modest external proportions, Nissan Hi-Cross Concept has a highly space efficient interior with three rows of seats for seven passengers.
Equally as clever is its hybrid drive train, coupling an electric motor - powered by a Nissan-developed compact lithium-ion battery - with a 2.0-litre direct injection petrol engine to provide the performance potential of a 2.5-litre with the economy and emissions expected from a much smaller unit.
Andy Palmer, Executive Vice President, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., said: "Nissan created the crossover segment with Murano and has expanded the genre with top selling cars like Qashqai and Juke. Nissan Hi-Cross Concept shows we are not sitting still, resting on our laurels, but exploring ways of cementing our crossover leadership by exploring new ideas."
For the concept, the HEV drivetrain is based on new technology developed by Nissan for front-wheel drive models, but modified to provide four-wheel drive. The new system's innovative approach to affordability and packaging adopts 'one-motor, two clutch' technology linked to Nissan's new generation XTRONIC continuously variable transmission which by itself achieves a 10 per cent improvement in fuel economy over comparable previous generation CVTs. The low friction design has smaller shaft-diameter pulleys with a new belt to give the widest possible ratio coverage for enhanced efficiency.
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