BEIJING MOTOR SHOW: Nissan Lannia concept unveiled

Nissan has let its Chinese designers off the leash for a new sedan concept making its debut in Beijing this week.

The Lannia is Nissan's second design to hail from the company's Chinese design centre, which only opened its doors last year.

Aimed at younger buyers born and raised during the 'balinghou' (post-80s) era – a time of great change for China and its economy – the Lannia features generic Nissan design cues prominently featured around the nose and flanks, and a 'floating' roof. According to the head of Nissan's Chinese design centre, Taiji Toyota, the show car visually encapsulates 'daqi' – meaning literally 'inflation' but figuratively a theme encouraging higher or stronger aspirations.

What's left unsaid in Nissan's press release for the show car is that the striking looks of the Lannia could resonate in markets outside China. In fact, a production-reality Lannia might dovetail nicely with the premium hatch rumoured to be under development for European markets. The new five-door is expected to supplant the 'Almera' hatch, which we know here as the (current) C12 Pulsar.

It's too early for Nissan to reveal its future product plans in Australia, but a major shake-up for the local model range might very well involve replacing the current Pulsar with production Lannia and a Euro-hatch counterpart.

That, of course, assumes the show car will go into production... and will be sold in markets other than China... and will be available to Nissan Australia at a time when currency exchange rates are kind.