GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Nissan launches IMQ hybrid electric crossover

The next generation of Nissan X-TRAIL and Nissan QASHQAI could be very different, if the Nissan IMQ concept vehicle is anything to go on.

Positioned squarely in the sweet spot of the European and Australian marketplaces, the all-new series-hybrid IMQ concept was unveiled at the 2019 Geneva motor show today.

Its “advanced design and all-wheel-drive e-POWER system, signal [the] next generation of crossovers,” Nissan states. Suggesting that the “advanced technology and design showcase” very much sets the tone for Nissan’s next generation of SUVs.

That effectively says the company’s top-selling models (small to mid-size SUVs) could soon be offered in a blend of e-Power series hybrid and all-electric variants.

In Nissan’s e-Power series hybrid powertrain, first revealed in 2016, a petrol engine powers a generator only. All motive power to the wheels is via an electric drivetrain that can be shared with pure electric models.

The IMQ features bold styling that Nissan says “pushes the boundaries of what a European crossover can be”.

Powered by the next generation of Nissan’s electric vehicle architecture and drivetrain, the IMQ punches hard with a claimed 250kW and 700Nm of oomph via a multi-motor all-wheel-drive system. Well, it would, were it a production vehicle -- at this stage the Nissan IMQ is a concept only.

IMQ also offers a sneak peek at Nissan’s next iteration of its autonomous driving technology, ProPILOT. In the new concept crossover, ProPILOT uses an array of sensors, radars and cameras to “interpret road, traffic and information signals for a smooth and confident ride”.

The concept also features Nissan’s Invisible-to-Visible (I2V) technology, unveiled earlier this year at CES in Las Vegas.

I2V is a 3-D interface which helps vehicle occupants see “what may otherwise be invisible”. Using Nissan’s Omni-Sensing technology, I2V overlays real and virtual imagery to update routes for traffic, provide information and even allow drivers to effectively see around corners.

“Drivers may even enjoy the company of a virtual passenger, in the form of a 3D augmented-reality avatar inside the car,” the company claims.

The IMQ features the next step in Nissan’s crossover design language. The V-motion grille has been toned down and now “blends vertically into the bonnet and horizontally with the front bumper to create strong corners at the outer edges”.

There’s no escaping the aggressive angularity of the IMQ, however, you can expect eventual production SUVs to be softened in their evolution from show to street.

In typical show-car fashion, the Nissan IMQ rides on oversized wheels (22-inch) with low-profile custom rubber – in this case prominently branded Bridgestone.

The tyres themselves are ‘smart’, communicating “information to the driver via the graphical user interface”. The dataset includes tyre load, pressure, temperature, grip level, wear and tyre “health”.

Says Nissan: “this helps the IMQ automatically calibrate its in-car control systems to work optimally”.

The interior itself is more fantasy than frumpy, with four individual seats, a yoke style wheel and full electronic instrumentation, iPhone-style is blacked out when not in use.

The IMQ’s two-tone 3D technical fabric surfaces are laser-cut in, what the company describes as, “a design inspired by Japanese kumiko woodwork”. The pattern is replicated across many of the cabin’s surfaces and the instrument panel.

Nissan’s flamboyant head of design, Alfonso Albaisa said of the IMQ: “The IMQ’s design combines traditional and modern Japanese influences and shows what’s possible when future crossovers are powered by Nissan Intelligent Mobility.

“With the IMQ, the interior and exterior are seamlessly blended together, signaling what our design direction may be for Nissan’s third generation of crossovers in Europe,” Albaisa sated.

Although Nissan Australia boss, Stephen Lester, maintains IMQ is a concept only, he says he's interested.

“While it is a concept at the moment, Nissan IMQ represents the future direction of the brand and incorporates exciting technologies, particularly the next generation of e-POWER,” Lester told carsales.

“New powertrain options are becoming more popular, and if e-POWER technology is made available for Australia, we would definitely be interested.”

More about the Nissan IMQ:
Overall length: 4558mm
Height: 1560mm
Width: 1940mm
Powertrain: 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, e-Power and multi-motor AWD
Output: 250kW/700Nm