Automotive

Nissan puts 429 hp, 373 miles of range and autonomy into IMx electric SUV concept

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Nissan IMx concept
The Nissan IMx exterior is dominated by some weird, pointy bodywork
The Nissan IMx's sharp, narrow eyes sit over top tall air intakes
A futuristic interpretation of the V-Motion grille that features on current Nissan production models
The flat rear fenders that appear to hold the tires in place like pincers disrupt what could otherwise be a fairly attractive rear-end
Nissan has strived to connect the interior and exterior in new ways, including the transparent OLED display built into the lower edge of the glasshouse
Nissan debuts the IMx concept at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show
The generous amount of glass lends to the feeling of openness and connection with the outside
The flat floor facilitated by the electric powertrain mounted below helps to open up interior space
No B pillar and coach doors create a large entry/exit
The four bucket seats also add to the interior spaciousness
The silicon headrests are styled like kumiki, a Japanese interlocking wood puzzle
Designed to emulate shoji screens, the natural-looking surround hugs the entire passenger compartment
The delicate katanagare diagonal pattern on the seats is laser-etched
Nissan says it used a 3D printer to create the headrest frames
The Nissan IMx steering wheel deploys and retracts based on drive mode
Inside the all-new Nissan IMx concept
The IMx is built on a skateboard electric platform with front and rear motors
The IMx concept has a theoretical range of 373 miles
The Nissan IMx could drop off its driver, then proceed to a charging area, to both charge and feed energy into the grid
The Nissan IMx is an autonomous concept that features a future iteration of ProPilot
Nissan shows the future of Intelligent Mobility with the IMx concept
Nissan IMx concept
Nissan IMx concept
The Nissan IMx exterior is dominated by some weird, pointy bodywork
The Nissan IMx's sharp, narrow eyes sit over top tall air intakes
A futuristic interpretation of the V-Motion grille that features on current Nissan production models
The flat rear fenders that appear to hold the tires in place like pincers disrupt what could otherwise be a fairly attractive rear-end
Nissan has strived to connect the interior and exterior in new ways, including the transparent OLED display built into the lower edge of the glasshouse
Nissan debuts the IMx concept at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show
The generous amount of glass lends to the feeling of openness and connection with the outside
The flat floor facilitated by the electric powertrain mounted below helps to open up interior space
No B pillar and coach doors create a large entry/exit
The four bucket seats also add to the interior spaciousness
The silicon headrests are styled like kumiki, a Japanese interlocking wood puzzle
Designed to emulate shoji screens, the natural-looking surround hugs the entire passenger compartment
The delicate katanagare diagonal pattern on the seats is laser-etched
Nissan says it used a 3D printer to create the headrest frames
The Nissan IMx steering wheel deploys and retracts based on drive mode
Inside the all-new Nissan IMx concept
The IMx is built on a skateboard electric platform with front and rear motors
The IMx concept has a theoretical range of 373 miles
The Nissan IMx could drop off its driver, then proceed to a charging area, to both charge and feed energy into the grid
The Nissan IMx is an autonomous concept that features a future iteration of ProPilot
Nissan shows the future of Intelligent Mobility with the IMx concept
Nissan IMx concept
Nissan IMx concept
View gallery - 46 images

Just last month, Nissan revealed the near future of its electric program when it detailed the second-generation Leaf. Now it dives deeper into the electrified future, dazzling Tokyo Motor Show attendees with the IMx, an all-electric crossover concept that promises enough range for a road trip, enough power for spirited highway sprints and the option to let the vehicle do all the driving while everyone else kicks back and relaxes.

The IMx previews the future of Nissan's Intelligent Mobility plans, which will guide how it evolves the way vehicles are powered, driven and integrated into society. The IMx uses a future-gen version of Nissan's ProPilot for a mix of human and machine driving. The drive mode button lets the driver seamlessly switch from ProPilot autonomous mode to manual driving. When the car takes over under ProPilot, the steering wheel retracts away into the dash and the seats recline to create a roomier, comfier cabin.

The IMx is built on a skateboard electric platform with front and rear motors

Whoever (or whatever) is doing the driving, an all-electric powertrain is charged with putting power to the street. The pair of motors at the front and rear combine to send up to 429 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels. The high-capacity, next-gen battery pack offers enough juice to keep the CUV rolling for up to 373 miles (600 km) per charge. The IMx can drop the driver off in ProPilot mode and proceed to a charging station, managing the charging process to top off the battery and pump back into the grid, as demands fluctuate.

Nissan explains that autonomous technology guides the styling of the IMx, which is designed to create a more open, seamless connection between interior and exterior. That all begins with wide, B-pillar-free openings at the sides and a generous glasshouse and transparent roof.

The generous amount of glass lends to the feeling of openness and connection with the outside

Inside, four individual seats float atop the flat, open floor and an undulating wood-grain-patterned trim wraps all four passengers like a scarf, representing a traditional Japanese shoji paper door screen in creating a light division between interior and exterior. That trim creates for a very clean dashboard, completely uncluttered by the usual hard controls, gauges and infotainment screens. Instead, Nissan blends the instruments and infotainment into the lower glass, creating a sort of thin, wraparound head-up-style OLED display. The driver can control that display with eye movements and hand gestures.

The clean, natural feel of the interior doesn't really translate over to the exterior, which is dominated by chunky shapes, oversized cuts, painful points and odd overlays. The updated V-Motion grille is attractive enough, but the strange flat, standalone front fenders sliced off by the front intakes, the XX-long headlamps and the pointy corners around the hood and sides create a jumbled mess that's mirrored at the rear. The pincer-like wheel arches and bright vermillion highlights on the otherwise understated pearl-white body don't help much. But it's a concept car from Nissan, so weird styling and color choices are to be expected.

The delicate katanagare diagonal pattern on the seats is laser-etched

The IMx is the centerpiece of Nissan's electric-focused Tokyo Motor Show exhibit, which also includes the new Leaf and the Leaf Nismo Concept. While those cars engage the eyes, Nissan tickles the eardrums with its all-new electric vehicle soundtrack, called "Canto." Designed to improve pedestrian safety by delivering a discernible tone for Nissan electric vehicles, the sound system activates between 12 and 19 mph (20 and 30 km/h) and adjusts in tone and pitch depending on whether the car is accelerating, decelerating or backing up.

The Tokyo Motor Show opened to the press on Wednesday and will open to the general public on Saturday, after a preview day on Friday. It runs through Sunday, November 5.

Source: Nissan

View gallery - 46 images
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5 comments
Daishi
Design trends in the auto industry often tend to follow the same popularity trends. Faraday Future accused NIO’s EVE of copying their FF91 concept. The design language is different but you can see similarities to FF91 in the direction they going: https://i.imgur.com/OidK970.jpg
ljaques
I like the concept of putting a pedestrian noise device on the vehicle so lazy pedestrians would at least have a chance of not walking in front of a fairly silent car. Are we sure we need so much horsepower for these new vehicles? The Teslas are literally screaming fast in Ludicrous Mode, ranging from 382 to 762hp. While fun, it's absolutely -not- necessary. Please stop thinking "fast" and start thinking "economical and practical", eh? I'm reading more and more about metropolitan areas wishing to redo their downtowns so electric cars are the sole vehicles.
swaan
ljaques, there is simply no reason to make electric motors less powerful as the efficiency gain will not be noticable. There is only a little money saved on the inverter. Eco and Valet modes can be used to restrict power.
JimFox
Swaan- Read again- he is not saying make electric MOTORS less powerful but making the car less powerful. Use 2 motors instead of 4, or 1 in place of 2, thereby reducing costs of both motor & battery, OR increasing range.
Initially EV's had to be 'supercars' to destroy public perceptions of road-going electric golf carts and to generate high profit from wealthy early adopters, away from Ferrari, Lambo et al.
He is right and so is Tesla with the move down to the M3 mainstream 'affordable' EV. As are the Bolt & many European models.
SteveO
No amount of artificial sound coming from a "silent" EV will get most pedestrians to take out their ear buds and/or look up from their phones. The cars need some type of audio interrupt or be able to put an alert on pedestrian's phone screen.