Yahoo Autos The Nissan IMQ Concept Teases Future Technology and Potential Styling Cues
The IMQ concept shows off what future Nissan products could potentially look like.
Its e-Power hybrid system and autonomous driving mode foreshadow upcoming technology.
The augmented-reality experience first shown on the IMs sedan concept makes another appearance.
The next generation of Nissan crossovers may cause our eyes to glaze over now, but the company's latest concept sets the stage-literally and figuratively-for more advanced and exciting products to come. Unveiled at the Geneva auto show, the IMQ crossover boasts intricate styling as well as technology features that will most likely make their way into Nissans of tomorrow. The latter includes an electrified all-wheel-drive powertrain (known as e-Power) and a prototype version of the automaker's ProPilot Assist driver-assistance system. Sure, its superficial details are mostly fanciful rather than practical. However, conceptual design cues often hint at what is on the horizon.
Car Tech: The Next Generation
The IMQ concept features a precursor to a fully autonomous driving mode, which is based on Nissan's current semi-autonomous ProPilot Assist. The prototype system uses an array of cameras, radars, and sensors that constantly analyze road conditions and traffic information. Additionally, it has what the company calls Invisible-to-Visible (I2V) technology, which was first introduced on the Nissan IMs sedan concept. This 3D environment is essentially pulled straight from an episode of Star Trek, with augmented reality that combines the real world with the virtual one. Not only does it help the driver detect otherwise invisible objects and plan alternate routes by displaying information on the windshield, it also can project a digital passenger to provide company. The first part sounds really cooler. The second is kind of creepy.
Currently, Nissan's e-Power hybrid system is exclusively available in the Japan domestic market on the Note hatchback and the Serena small minivan. The IMQ is motivated by an upcoming version of that setup, which continues to use an internal-combustion engine solely as a generator. Its turbocharged 1.5-liter engine helps power electric motors located at each wheel that deliver all-wheel drive. The company says the system combines to create 335 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. Each electric motor is independently controlled to deliver optimal traction and precise responses.
As with pretty much every concept car, the Nissan IMQ mixes realistic and unrealistic design details. Its complex exterior flaunts an exaggerated version of the company's trademark V-motion grille. Ironically, Nissan calls the visualization "deliberately more subtle." However, we'd argue that very few elements about the IMQ are subtle. Regardless, its angular bodywork is a tapestry of creased edges and aerodynamic surfaces. Its gigantic 22-inch wheels tuck up under heavily pronounced wheel arches and wear custom Bridgestone Connect tires that communicate information to the driver and the car. Information such as tire pressure, temperature, and tread depth is accessible through a user interface inside the car. This intelligent rubber also coordinates with the vehicle's driver-assistance system.
The IMQ has a see-through roof and a set of sweet suicide doors that open wide for easy ingress and egress. The cavernous interior accepts four passengers with its individually sculpted seats. These special buckets are made of a two-tone, laser-cut fabric with a unique Japanese kumiko woodwork–style geometric pattern that is distributed throughout the cabin. The front seat is dominated by a digital screen that provides extensive vehicle information. Likewise, another smaller screen above the center console displays the concept's Virtual Personal Assistant, which reacts to driver commands and controls vehicle functions. The wild-looking steering wheel appears to float separately from the dashboard and has paddle shifters built into the back of it. While many of these sci-fi features will never truly see the light of day, the IMQ concept certainly paints a compelling picture of what the next generation of Nissan products could be.
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