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With the new Leaf already revealed, Nissan is pressing ahead with its electric car agenda, and has brought this, the IMx concept to Tokyo. The IMx is all-electric, and uses two motors (one for each axle, natch) for a combined 425hp. One-charge range is claimed to be as much as 600km.
"The IMx zero-emission crossover concept vehicle embodies the future of Nissan Intelligent Mobility," said Daniele Schillaci, executive vice president for global marketing and sales, zero-emission vehicles and the battery business. "Through Nissan Intelligent Mobility, Nissan is committed to changing the way people and cars communicate, as well as how cars interact with society in the near future and beyond."
Nissan says that the IMx is fitted with the ultimate version of its ProPilot autonomous driving system, and that means it's a full hands-off, self-driving car when you want it to be. When you select robotic drive mode, the steering wheel tucks away into the dash, and the seats automatically recline, returning to a more upright position when you want to take over driving again. It can also, when you've reached your destination, wander off an find its own parking space, where it can plug in, either to recharge or to return excess battery power to the grid, as needed.
Based on the same new EV platform as the new Leaf, the IMx stows all its batteries low down in the chassis, allowing for a completely flat floor in the cabin, and lots of space. With 700Nm of torque on offer, and a low centre of gravity, Nissan claims that "the chassis delivers sharp handling that promises to redefine the crossover segment."
Inside, amidst the profusion of OLED touchscreens, the cabin is said to be inspired by traditional Japanese paper-walled houses, and the headrest, which is 3D-printed, features a design from a classic Japanese interlocking wood block puzzle. It's not all old-school though, as Nissan says that the artificial intelligence system can recognise not only hand gestures, but even eye movement as a way of controlling the onboard systems.
If that all sounds a bit to futuristic, don't worry - a much simpler version of this will go on sale in 2019, as the first Leaf-based SUV.
Nissan also used the Tokyo show to announce that next year it will be joining the electric Formula E racing series (replacing Renault, which is going to concentrate on its F1 commitments), and that it has developed a new electric car noise, an exterior sound generator called 'Canto' which warns pedestrians that an electric car is approaching.