Like the look of this new Nissan Friend-Me concept car? Well, you'd better hope you do, because it has been designed for the most influential group of car buyers in the world right now - the Balinghou. And they are? They are the young, affluent, middle-class Chinese born since the mid-to-late eighties, just coming into proper car buying age and with plenty of money to spend.
"Bālínghòu males are a huge cohort in the world's largest market, and they're now reaching their prime," said François Bancon, Division General Manager of product strategy and advanced planning at Nissan. "Clearly, their tastes will shape automotive trends worldwide for decades to come. So we believe it's important to listen with respect, and respond by putting dreams within their reach. That's why Friend-ME is our first proposition in an ongoing dialogue."
The Friend-Me is a mid-size saloon based on an existing Nissan platform (most likely the Qashqai's), which makes it much easier, cheaper and faster to put into production. The drivetrain is a glimpse at Nissan's new Pure Drive hybrid set-up, the first move in Nissan's gentle drift away from the battery-only power of the LEAF towards a more conventional hybrid future. Nissan is not releasing technical details for now, but expects the Friend-Me to be used mostly as an urban vehicle. Hardly surprising considering the massive Chinese migration from the agrarian countryside to the affluent mega-cities.
The interior is being touted as a strong point. It's a four-seater, with each seat being peddled as a 'space for equals.' In other words, each seat is individually moulded and the central spine that runs the full length of the cockpit allows each person in the car to access an information screen that gives them satnav details, the car's speed and more.
The Friend-Me is the first in what will be a series of Nissan concepts designed to make the brand more desirable to the Balinghou. And if 240 million well-heeled Chinese car buyers start to like what they see, expect to see much the same on the streets of Ireland. Balinghou to Ballydehob in one step.