Essence of Infiniti captured

First came the specially-designed Louis Vuitton luggage and then the teaser photos, but nothing could prepare you fully for the impact of the Infiniti Essence concept unveiled at the Geneva motor show last week. Billed as a celebration of all things Infiniti, to help launch the brand in Europe, the Essence concept was not only a head turner but it also introduces the company's hybrid technology.

Unlike other concepts the Essence didn't begin life in the design studio, instead it was created by the company's product planning division. Rather than driven by design, the company opted to try and distill the key attributes of the brand and put it into the car.

"Essence is a brand icon," says Francois Bancon, General Manager Advanced Product Planning for the Nissan luxury brand.

"It is driven more by a conceptual approach than by any design execution. It is not just an object. It isn't a teaser for a new model. It is solely dedicated to Infiniti brand promotion, to demonstrate and advocate Infiniti's unique values."

Although Infiniti didn't give many details away, the striking two-door grand tourer appears to echo the front mid-engined proportions of Nissan's GT-R. The long bonnet suggests a similar layout to the all-wheel drive wundercar and the high rear deck level is of the right proportions to be hiding the rear-mounted Independent Transaxle used in Godzilla.

What the company would say was that the engine was sourced from the 370Z. But unlike the standard 370Z V6 the Essence version has twin turbochargers added to take power up to 323kW. Hmmm, twin-turbo V6… Where have we heard that before?

In the Essence, the petrol engine is supplemented by a parallel hybrid system, that boasts an electric motor that adds a healthy 117kW to the mix.

The so-called '3D Motor' is a disc-shaped motor that Infiniti claims has twice the torque of conventional electric motors. It is positioned between the engine and transmission (a la BMW, GM and Benz's twin-mode hybrid set-up) and is powered by a lithium ion battery pack.

Inside, the cabin is purely driver focused with all the controls angled away from the passenger. The cockpit is, in fact, divided by a large centre console and the driver and passenger seats are finished in different coloured leather and Alcantara to further emphasise the driver is the one in the spotlight.

Switchgear and buttons are kept to a minimum to give the interior a clean and minimalist look.

The design of the car is meant to preview a new styling direction for the company as it continues to expand out of its traditional home in the United States. No further news yet on when that roll out will eventually include Australia.

Infiniti insists the Essence is not a preview of any forthcoming model, but admits the car does include several features that will be rolled out across the production model range in the coming years.

The most notable of these is 'Safety Shield': a system designed to reduce rear end collisions. The new feature joins the existing Distance Control Assist and Lane Departure Prevention systems to provide side and rear collision prevention and create the 'shield' around the car.