Nissan has just lifted the wraps off a thinly veiled hatchback concept that will slot into the company’s line-up between the Micra and Juke.
Dubbed “Invitation”, the concept is “…designed to be inviting thanks to its sensuous exterior design and generous and comfortable interior space, cleverly packaged within compact overall dimensions,” says Nissan’s Deputy Division General Manager of Product Strategy and Product Planning Division, François Bancon.
The Invitation is something of a stylistic contrast to the cute-as-a-button Micra alongside which it is destined to sit. The bodywork features strongly sculpted character lines on the flanks and bonnet strakes as well as swept-back headlamps with LED elements on their outer edges and a mesh grille – the latter two are likely to find their way onto the production model. Another feature that could find its way past the red pen-toting bean-counters is the panoramic windscreen, although this is likely to be offered as an optional item.
The interior is typically concept car, with a riot of colours and trims that show no regard for economic viability, although there are elements that hint at the production offering. The overall facia layout lifts a number of elements from that of the Micra – especially the three-dial binnacle, the quartet of rounded ventilation pods and the circular HVAC cluster at the base of the facia. A sizeable infotainment screen with what appears to be an iPhone-esque touch interface also plays host to a raft of high tech features – the company’s Around View Monitor (a four-camera system that gives drivers a complete view of their car’s surroundings) being among them.
Nissan has not disclosed any details regarding powerplants earmarked for this model, but there is word that the most efficient version will return CO2 emissions of less than 100 g/km.
Expect the production version of the Invitation to emerge during the course of 2013.