Ignore the rear-hinged doors and the missing b-pillar. Ignore too the big glass roof with asymmetric X-shape strut over the drivers' head. Ignore the LEDs and the big wheels. Strip away all that concept car frippery and you're looking at the new Nissan Micra, due on sale next year.
This is the Sway concept, unveiled by Nissan at today's Geneva Motor Show and it previews a massive turnaround in Nissan's small car thinking. Every Micra since 1992 has been rounded, cute and cuddly. The Sway looks like it could bite you in half and owes much more to the Juke and Qashqai in stylistic terms.
It's stripped back and simple inside too, following on from the IDx concepts of last year. There are just two dials in front of the driver and a big tablet screen in the middle controls the rest of the car's functions. Again, peer past the concept car flourishes and you can see the shapes and outlines of the new Micra cabin.
But will it be called Micra? The current Micra has been a sales disaster for Nissan and it seems keen to have a complete change with its small car lineup. That being so, the new small Nissan could well ditch the classic name and go with Sway.
"We believe that the Sway continues our tradition of challenging the status quo in market segments by bringing something fresh, distinctive and striking, much as we did with Qashqai and Juke. With this new concept car for Geneva, we are experimenting to see how Nissan might be able to bring fresh ideas to the compact hatchback segment," said Shiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President, Design and Chief Creative Officer, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Paul Willcox, Chairman Nissan Europe, said: "Nissan is on the move. The brand stands for bold, innovative thinking in the European automotive market - indeed around the globe - and our growth in Europe is led by outstanding new products, which are defined by outstanding design. The Sway underlines how important design is for Nissan in building our brand and driving our growth."