Nissan has unveiled its new compact SUV concept Xmotion at this year’s North American International Auto Show being held in Detroit, US.
The concept is a six-passenger, three-row claims to fuse Japanese culture and craftsmanship with American style utility along with Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility technology.
This concept vehicle has a long wheelbase, with wheels and tires being pushed out to the extremes of the corners.
The interior has been designed to seat six persons and features three rows of side-by-side individual seats.
Visually, the concept vehicle has a rugged, metal-crafted wheels and all-terrain tire design. The tire tread is physically laminated over the 21-inch aluminium alloy wheels and the vehicle has a retractable ‘rooftop box’ and a unique tail light design inspired by Japanese woodwork.
Nissan says that the interior was created with an imagery of river on the floor and the centre console acting as a bridge and it is considered to be the core of the interior design and it uses a traditional Japanese architectural wood joinery technique ‘kanawa tsugi’, found in the carpentry used to build religious temples and shrines.
The vehicle’s instrument panel design is claimed to be a modern interpretation of traditional kigumi wood joinery. By using this structure in the instrument panel and console, it is claimed to be a robust bone structure and creates a sense of strength.
The interior has a total of seven digital screen portions. Three main displays and left and right end displays cover the width of the instrument panel. There is also a digital room mirror on the ceiling and a center console display.
These displays and the infotainment system can be controlled using gestures and eye movements. The concept is equipped with intuitive controls and voice command system and they allow the driver to focus on driving, while helping the access various information in a smart and easy way.
Nissan Motor global design senior vice president Alfonso Albaisa said: "In the Xmotion concept, we explored the more rugged and powerful side of Nissan Intelligent Mobility. Bold and powerful forms and proportions are, upon closer inspection, contrasted with aspects of traditional Japanese craftsmanship expressed in a contemporary way.
"The exterior's combination of western and eastern concepts continues inside the Xmotion, where advanced connectivity and autonomous technologies mix with modern Japanese digital art and cultural craftsmanship. At a glance, Xmotion may appear to have a minimal design language, but a closer look reveals layers of detail that make this concept exceptional."
