Nissan Archives

ETCM Launches New Nissan Serena S-Hybrid Priced At RM135,500!

Some of us sniggered when the name ‘Highway Star’ was first announced by ETCM for its high-line Serena MPV some years ago, of course this was only done by the more senior motoring media, and anyone who knew music in the 70’s would remember that iconic song by Deep Purple. Yes, I’m old. And just in case you’d like to know what it sounded like, I’ve linked the actual song at the end of this article; sorry, it just had to be done…

So anyway, a new Highway Star arrived today in the form of the new Nissan Serena, available in S-Hybrid 2.0 Highway Star and S-Hybrid 2.0 Premium Highway Star, priced at RM135,500 and RM147,500 respectively. Both are powered by the same 2,0-litre engine mated to a XTRONIC-CVT (continuously variable transmission), that churns out 150Ps and 200Nm of torque.

The addition of what Nissan dubs a ECO Motor with Electric Power Re-generator, secondary battery and torque assist allows for much better acceleration from a standstill, and no, the Serena is not able to run on electric power alone. Think of the system as an additional power-pack for the MPV that boosts its power and aids fuel-efficiency by assisting the internal-combustion engine; something like a power-bank for your Smartphone.

At the media launch event, Sales and Marketing Director of ETCM, Mr. Christopher Tan (above) said: “In 2013, ETCM was the first to introduce a hybrid MPV to Malaysia. Today, Malaysia is the first country outside Japan to locally-assemble the All-New Nissan Serena S-Hybrid. This is to support the local popularity of the All-New Nissan Serena S-Hybrid; and to-date, we have already collected 1,300 bookings.”

Also present at the launch was Mr Vincent Wijnen (above), Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Asia and Oceania, Nissan Motor Asia Pacific Co., Ltd. “In many ways, the Nissan Serena is a strong symbol of Nissan itself. Serena, not surprisingly then, has consistently been one of the most popular passenger cars. In fact, this calendar year, it’s number-one in its class in Japan, with more than 33,000 units sold so far.”, he said.

More details on the new Nissan Serena S-Hybrid…

The All-New Nissan Serena S-Hybrid adopts Nissan’s new generation global design language that creates a more dynamic and sporty styling. The core features are the new V-Motion Strut Grille, Dual Layer LED Projector Headlamp and LED Signature Lamp, Floating Roof design that highlights the spacious cabin, and LED Tail Lamps that are now fashioned with a distinctive S-Shaped design.

Nissan Intelligent Mobility (NIM) features have been added to provide a more exciting, confident and connected drive. The key highlights include:

S-Hybrid system with upgraded ECO motor that controls the Idling Stop system, and provides additional torque assist in start-up acceleration. It also acts as an alternator to facilitate energy recuperation during deceleration and braking;
First in its class Intelligent Around View Monitor (I-AVM), uses 4 cameras that provide a 360° bird’s-eye view of the vehicle for easier navigation;
Intelligent Moving Object Detection (I-MOD), detects and alerts the driver of moving objects surrounding the vehicle;
Intelligent Driver Alertness (I-DA), helps alert potential driver fatigue (drowsy driving) and inattention;
Smartphone connectivity with Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™, so that the driver is able to stay focus on the road and still being able to get turn-by-turn navigation directions, receive and make calls, listen and reply to messages, and play music using voice commands.

The All-New Nissan Serena S-Hybrid is powered by a 2.0L (MR20DD) Twin CVTC (Continuously Variable-valve Timing Control) engine, paired with XTRONIC CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) with Adaptive Shift Control (ASC); maximum power output is now at 150PS / 6,000rpm with a torque of 200Nm / 4,400rpm. Adoption of the new Dual Arm Tensioner (DAT) to maintain optimal tensile force on the belt to reduce friction, reduce power lost and increase fuel efficiency.

Improvements to the engine have resulted in a 2.8% improvement in power-to-weight ratio and the best-in-class fuel economy of 14.2 km/L (NEDC R101) which is a 13% fuel economy improvement over its predecessor earning the All-New Serena S-Hybrid the Energy Efficient Vehicle (EEV) status.

On top of the powertrain improvement, the All-New Nissan Serena S-Hybrid also enhances the ease of driving and handling. The All-New Nissan Serena S-Hybrid adopts a sound-absorbing liner in the wheelhouse to improve cabin quietness. Increasing the steering rack gear ratio for quicker turning through reduced steering-wheel lock-to-lock turns. The variable assist electric power steering gives a lighter steering feel at low speed (when parking) and a firm feel at higher speeds for improved stability. Stiffer front and rear suspension mounting as well as the addition of high performance valve in the shock absorbers deliver a more stable and comfortable ride.

The All-New Nissan Serena S-Hybrid also offers new technologies that are first in its class in providing thoughtful conveniences. Beginning with Hands-Free Dual Power Sliding Door which operates by a simple quick kick below the door to open or close when your hands are full, Dual Back Door that can be opened easily even in tight parking spaces, Capless Fuel Filler which makes refuelling more convenient, and 7 USB-Powered Ports for each passenger’s electronic device charging needs.

The modern and premium interior of the All-New Nissan Serena S-Hybrid is a delight to the driver and passengers. The Soft Padded Instrumental Panel featuring Nissan’s gliding-wing design delivers a sense of panoramic openness, while the full colour 7-inch Advance Drive Assist Display (ADAD) provides vehicle and driving information. A Flat Bottom Leather Steering Wheel with Cruise Control, asymmetrical centre cluster housing the premium 6.75-inch Clarion Advanced Touchscreen Display Audio, Push Start Ignition with the Intelligent Key for keyless operation and a Dual-Zone Auto Climate Control System with rear digital control panel as well as air conditioning ducts for all 3 rows, complete a technologically advance interior.

The interior space of the All-New Nissan Serena S-Hybrid is the largest and most flexible in its class. The 7-seater MPV now comes with extended interior length by 180mm, additional 20mm and 65mm for its height and width respectively, offering more space between all rows of seats thus improving the ride comfort for all passengers. First in its class Zero Gravity Inspired Seats provide spinal support to reduce passenger fatigue during long drives is now available for 1^st and 2^nd row seats.

The All-New Nissan Serena S-Hybrid now comes with 2^nd row Captain Seats with dual armrest, and a personal table offering the luxury of individual seating. With this new seating layout, occupants gain a comfortable walkthrough access from the 1^st to the 3^rd row. This spacious 7-seater MPV follows it predecessors with a variety of seating and cargo combinations, offering 13 different seating configurations to fulfil all needs and requirements.

Traditionally, 3^rd row passenger find it the most inconvenient to exit the vehicle. The All-New Nissan Serena S-Hybrid solves this by re-designing the C-pillar rearward by 50mm, to make a wider sliding door opening and with the addition of a Power Sliding Door Switch (left sliding door only) in the 3^rd row, as well as a new step-release that enables 2^nd row seats to slide forward with ease, passengers can exit the 3^rd row comfortably and conveniently.

6 SRS Airbags is now standard in the All-New Nissan Serena S-Hybrid, and other safety features include Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), Traction Control System (TCS), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Brake Assist (BA), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Hill Start Assist (HSA), and ISOFIX Child Seat Restraint system for 2^nd row seats.

“Besides being one of the best looking MPVs in Malaysia, the All-New Nissan Serena S-Hybrid is equipped with many new intelligent technologies and smart features that will bring abundance of joy and happiness to many families. The All-New Nissan Serena S-Hybrid is simply magical,” added Mr Christopher Tan.

The All-New Nissan Serena S-Hybrid Highway Star comes with a fresh new colour, Cashmere Gold alongside its three current colours; Diamond Black, Brilliant White and Tungsten Silver. While the Premium Highway Star offers a Two-Tone exterior colour design with Brilliant White (Body) and Diamond Black (Roof), Tungsten Silver (Body) and Diamond Black (Roof), and Cashmere Gold (Body) and Imperial Umber (Roof).

Additionally, the Premium Highway Star offers more sophistication with Combination Leather Seats with a colour choice of Two-Tone Truffle Brown and Chestnut or Single-tone Black, 10.1-inch Roof-Mounted LCD Panel, Tech-on Tray Mat (for the personal table), Driving Video Recorder (DVR), LED Room Lamp, V-KOOL 4Mil Security Film Tinting, 16-inch Diamond Cut Alloy Wheels, and Door Visors.

The All-New Nissan Serena S-Hybrid is priced at RM147,500 for the Premium Highway Star and RM135,500 for the Highway Star (OTR price without insurance for Peninsular Malaysia), with a 5-year Unlimited Mileage Warranty.

A 3-year/60,000km (whichever comes first) Maintenance Service promotion is offered as part of the launch campaign. Additionally, the first 500 registered vehicles will also receive a free Terzo Portable Cooler Box by PIAA (worth RM 500).

NISSAN SERENA 2.0L S-HYBRID	PREMIUM HIGHWAY STAR (RM)	HIGHWAY STAR (RM)
Peninsular Malaysia	147,500	135,500
Sabah & Sarawak	150,200	138,200

*OTR Price inclusive GST, without Insurance

For more information, visit www.nissan.com.my or call the Nissan Customer Care Centre Hotline at 1800 88 3838.

Nissan Serena S-Hybrid Photo Gallery…

This damn song has been stuck in my head all day, so be warned, major earworm ahead! – Chris Wee.

Nissan Serena 2.0 S-Hybrid “Premium Highway Star” Variant Now Available!

Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn. Bhd. (ETCM) has announced that the All-New NISSAN Serena 2.0L S-Hybrid is now available in a Premium Highway Star variant, with exclusive Two-Tone exterior and additional premium features.

The Premium Highway Star now comes with Two-Tone Exterior Colour design, including premium interior features such as Combination Leather Seats with colour choices of Two-Tone Truffle Brown and Chestnut or Single-tone Black, 10.1-inch Roof-Mounted LCD Panel, Tech-on Tray Mat, Driving Video Recorder (DVR) and LED Room Lamp; whilst 16-inch Diamond Cut Alloy Wheels, Door Visors, V-KOOL 4Mil Security Film Tinting, and ThreeBond Ultra Glass Body Coating, completes the All-New NISSAN Serena with every feature and accessory that MPV owners desire.

ALL-NEW NISSAN SERENA 2.0L S-HYBRID PREMIUM HIGHWAY STAR
Additional Features and Accessories	Exclusive Two-Tone Exterior Colours
· Combination Leather Seats (Two-Tone Truffle Brown/Chestnut or Single-Tone Black) · 10.1-inch Roof-Mounted LCD Panel · Tech-on Tray Mat · Driving Video Recorder (DVR) · LED Room Lamp · 16-inch Alloy Wheels · Door Visor · V-KOOL 4Mil Security Film Tinting · ThreeBond Ultra Glass Body Coating	· Imperial Umber (Roof) Cashmere Gold (Body) · Diamond Black (Roof) Tungsten Silver (Body) · Diamond Black (Roof) Brilliant White (Body)

Estimated prices are as follows:

ALL-NEW NISSAN SERENA 2.0L S-HYBRID
Highway Star	Below RM140,000 (without insurance)
Premium Highway Star	Below RM155,000 (without insurance)

The All-New NISSAN Serena 2.0L S-Hybrid is now open for booking with official deliveries scheduled in May. It comes with a 5-year Unlimited Mileage Warranty, with 3-year or 60,000km Maintenance Service inclusive (whichever comes first). Additionally, the first 500 registered vehicles will also receive an exclusive gift worth RM500.

Test drives the All-New NISSAN Serena 2.0L S-Hybrid, the No.1 MPV in Japan* at ETCM’s Exclusive Preview event held at selected showrooms over the next two weekends (14 to 15 April and 20 to 22 April), starting from 10am till 8pm.

Dates and venues as follows:

Date	Region	Venue
14 – 15 April	Central	ETCM Glenmarie, Selangor
	Central	ETCM Jalan Raja Laut, Kuala Lumpur
	Northern	ETCM Butterworth, Penang
	Northern	ETCM Ipoh, Perak
	Southern	ETCM Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru
	Southern	ETCM Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
	East Coast	ETCM Kuantan, Pahang
	East Malaysia	ETCM Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
	East Malaysia	ETCM Kuching, Sarawak
20 – 21 April	Northern	ETCM Alor Setar, Kedah
20 – 21 April	East Coast	ETCM Kota Bharu, Kelantan
21 – 22 April	Central	ETCM Petaling Jaya, Selangor
	Central	ETCM Southgate, Kuala Lumpur
	Northern	ETCM Bayan Lepas, Penang
	Southern	ETCM Batu Pahat, Johor Bahru
	Southern	ETCM Melaka, Melaka
	East Malaysia	ETCM Sandakan, Sabah
	East Malaysia	ETCM Miri, Sarawak

Members of the public can also visit www.nissan.com.my or call ETCM’s Nissan Customer Care Centre at 1800-88-3838 for more information and register your interest. Terms apply.

*Japan’s best-selling mid-size MPV (January to March 2018)

Nissan makes top level changes

Nissan has done a little reshuffling before the start of 2018 in the form of appointing Hideyuki Sakamoto to executive vice president, manufacturing, supply chain management, and Denis Le Vot to senior vice president and chairman of the management committee for Nissan North America.

Sakamoto will be vacating his position as executive vice president, product engineering, in order to take on his new role. Despite this change, which will be effective January 1st 2018, he will continue to report to Chief Competitive Officer, Yasuhiro Yamauchi.

Since 1980, Sakamoto has been at Nissan and has served a number roles including multiple chief vehicle engineer positions, as well as corporate vice president, Nissan PV Product Development Division. Le Volt on the other hand, has enjoyed a fulfilling career at Nissan’s sister company, Renault since 1990.

Throughout his career at the French automaker, Le Volt has held several aftersales positions as well as that of vice president, marketing and sales for the Eurasia region and chief operating officer of Renault Russia. Evidently, both men bring a substantial amount of experience and expertise to their new roles at the company.

New Infiniti could signal directional shift

Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury sub-brand has released a teaser image of a new sleek concept car. It will officially be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, January 2018. The automaker says that the car will take the look of a traditional sedan to the next stage of evolution.

Based on first impressions, the car should have angular contours that builds upon Infiniti’s sporty design language. Blessed with fluidic contours that seem to be concentrated toward the front fascia, the new car is poised to be a show stopper.. Sporting a muscular stance, this Infiniti will herald in a new era for the brand.

Though details surrounding performance are a bit sketchy at the moment, Infiniti did say that it that will have smarter, more compact and less intrusive powertrains. This could lead many to suspect that the new car will have some sort of hybrid powertrain.

Whatever the case maybe, we will know for sure next month when the car graces the auto show in Detroit alongside its retro-modern cousin, Prototype 9, another special creation. If Infiniti keeps this momentum going, it could be on its way to win several awards in 2019.

Nissan 350Z from Tokyo Drift is up for sale

A very special car is currently listed for sale on one of UK’s online used car portals, Auto Trader. A Nissan 350Z with distinctive body artwork that resembles that featured in Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, is currently being listed for sale for £99,950 (RM543,203.26). It is one of two cars that survived filming, six of them were written off.

The car was registered in Japan in 2002, and bears all the original hallmarks expected of a street racing film car. It is said to be the only one to have the desirable performance upgrades, including the APS twin turbo engine. And is believed to be the main car used in the famous drifting scenes of the film.

Equipped with a Nitrous Oxide system, which was only installed for cinematic purposes, it was the primary vehicle of Takashi AKA The Drift King, a character in the third installment of the Fast and the Furious movie franchise. Auto Logix, is the car retailer that has advertised the 350Z for sale on Auto Trader.

“Unique in every way, we’re delighted to have another Hollywood star showcased on the UK’s largest automotive marketplace, and I’m certain we can match it with an owner that shows a little bit more TLC than Takashi did 11 years ago,” said Erin Baker, Auto Trader Editorial Director.

According to Auto Logix, it claims to be selling the car on behalf of a car collector, who purchased Takashi’s drifting machine from Universal Pictures. This particular 350Z was also featured on most of the promotional material for the 2006 film.

Tokyo Drift was considered an international box office success when it hit the silver screen in 2006, grossing $95,953,877 (RM391,443,841.22) worldwide. The ninth installment of the franchise is expected to be released in 2020, which will probably break further records during its premiere.

Nissan’s unconventional test approach

Contrary to popular belief, some automakers utilize odd methods to determine paintwork durability. Nissan USA, has a miniature car wash about the size and shape of a popcorn machine that serves an important role at its Technical Centre in Michigan, USA.

As its name suggests, it is equipped with a spinning brush that has vibrant blue bristles, which whisk away at paint samples. For illustration purposes, a red 1:16 scale model of the 370Z is passed through the machine to study the damage that a regular car wash would do to the paint that Nissan uses.

In practice, paint is applied to rectangular plates, which are placed into the miniature car wash and tested multiple times to ensure a top-quality finish that lasts. Nissan’s little contraption is said to mimic the real thing, its brush rotates at 180rpm, causing the bristles to pelt the painted samples repeatedly as water jets spray water.

A special layer, called the ‘Arizona Dirt’ is applied to paint samples to replicate real-world grit, and allow for more practical understanding of the abuse that vehicle paintwork have to endure, especially when it comes time to wash them clean.

Testing methodology differ between manufacturers, but at Nissan, a miniature car wash is what they prefer. In reality, car wash centres may not use the best of tools when cleaning customers’ cars, which is why test such as these are conducted. Rough cloths or bristles can scratch clear coats and abrade paint, so durability is important.

Nissan celebrate heritage at NISMO festival

Last week’s NISMO festival that was supported by Motul, played host to an interesting display of vehicles from Nissan’s memorable past. There were Group C cars, Super GT cars, Touring Cars and even an incredible display of rally cars. Thousands of fans either attended the event at Fuji International Speedway or tuned in to NISMO.tv to witness the spectacle.

All of those cars were part of Nissan’s heritage collection, which is housed in the Zama Heritage Center in Japan. Here, the automaker houses a plethora of vehicles from its Motorsport past as well as road cars that date back to the Datsun type 12 Phaeton from 1933.

According to the automaker, it has more than 400 vehicles stored in its Zama facility and if you would like to see more of them, CLICK HERE. As portrayed by the various pictures in the gallery, Nissan has had a colourful Motorsport history that has contributed somewhat in it becoming the automotive giant it is today.

Check out the pictures below and let us know what you think of its vintage and classic cars. And should you require further information on them, check out Nissan’s online heritage site. It houses a massive collection of pictures and specifications of each individual car. It’s in Japanese though, so use Google Chrome to get the translation done in a single click.

Review: Nissan Teana 2.5 XV

Automakers churn out D-segment luxury cars to cater to customers who appreciate decent legroom, acres of leather and steady road holding. Such vehicles take up the entire width of a road lane, which isn’t ideal, especially when squeezing past cars that are double parked on both sides of the road.

Like other vehicles, these barges are governed by the laws of physics and common sense. And based on this understanding, comfort and sporty handling, in this case atleast, are both mutually exclusive. Unfortuntely, Nissan wasn’t informed of this, and as such, went about creating a sporty D-segment car for the masses.

The automaker took its executive level sedan, the Teana, and gave it to its performance gurus at NISMO. The name is an acronym of the automaker’s tuning arm, called Nissan Motorsport. Similar to what AMG is to Mercedes-Benz, so is NISMO responsible for turning regular run-of-the-mill cars into impressive machines.

Vehicles that have been given the NISMO treatment, differ greatly in terms of performance from that of the ones that they are based on. And they have pulled it off with the Teana, effectively making the term ‘performance luxury car’ less of an oxymoron. Don’t ask me how, but Nissan has managed to grab a rabbit out of the hat with this one.

I was skeptical of the idea of a D-segment car being sporty. It’s an unnatural notion, one that can be likened to seeing a two-headed whale. The reasoning behind it is, big cars are heavy and slow to react to a driver’s input. Miraculously however, this isn’t the case with the Nissan Teana 2.5 XV NISMO. In fact, its a damn good vehicle, period.

Nissan may have gone overboard with the spoiler kit though. The massive front spoiler adds length and girth to the front bumper. It protrudes a few centimeters at the bottom and sides, which increases the risk of getting it scuffed when making sharp turns or dealing with steep inclinations.. Besides this, the car’s front overhang is slightly longer than the standard one.

The same is true for the rear as well, NISMO gave it the same dark grey spoiler with red pin-striping. This coupled with the fact that the car has an off-white body colour, provides an illusion to its overall size – the car feels far bigger than it actually is.

But the beauty here, is in the way it was crafted. It doesn’t feel tacky or boy-racerish. Instead, it lends credence to the idea of a sporty luxury car. Topping it off, is the NISMO tuned suspension, which not only reduces the overall ride height, but alters the vehicle’s driving dynamics in an immensely fun way.

Its driving dynamics isn’t the same as the regular base car. It rides 20mm lower due to the sports suspension and feels far more planted. Quick and brisk maneuvers are dealt with fairly easily. The body remains hunkered down and composed even when meandering past b-roads. This secure feeling gives you the confidence to take more daring risks.

Backed by a powerful 2.5-litre engine, the car is able to punch well above its weight. the Linear torque delivery right up to the redline leads you into believing that it can take on anything south of a proper sports car. It never leaves you wanting for a lack of power, instead it serves up dollops of it with a mere prod of the throttle pedal.

Though it’s mated to a CVT gearbox, overall drivability is decent, and the performance is devoid of needless thunks and clunks that are considered as par for the course of regular slush boxes. Mind you, its no match for a DCT, lightning quick shifts are something that is alien to a car like the Teana, but that suits me just fine.

Having said that, the electric steering lacks feel and rarely invokes any semblance of confidence or sure footedness when making brisk turns. It isn’t a deal breaker, but for those who require pin-sharp response, this isn’t the car for you. Then there’s the infotainment system that has been somewhat long in the tooth since 2014.

Controls and navigation buttons seem counter intuitive at times but are overall still usable. Newer setups require less interaction to yield the required results. That said, it is still usable and feature rich. This is one of the few qualms that I have with the car and that ruins an almost perfect experience.

See, I wasn’t expecting much going in to this. I expected to receive mediocre handling coupled with a harsh ride quality, but the contrary was true. The Teana was able to cope with my demands with good composure, and the ride quality, though a bit stiffer than the standard car, was able to soak up road undulations pretty well.

If you are looking for a decent sized vehicle that fits the needs of your job and family, this car should be on your shortlist. It performs well and is able to offer a good blend of comfort and sporty handling characteristics.

Piston Review Rating: 8/10
Nissan Teana NISMO Specifications
Engine: 2.5 XV Twin CVTC
Transmission: CVT
Horsepower: 170bhp
Torque: 243Nm

Nissan’s new Leaf to get top honours at CES 2018

The newly launched Nissan Leaf has already caused a stir in the tech industry. It has taken top honours at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) annual ‘CES Unveiled’ ceremony, presented by the Consumer Technology Association. The show is regarded by many as being one of the top tech events in the world.

Before a crowd of tech industry experts, the Leaf bagged its first major international award since its launch. But Nissan is adamant that far more accolades will be coming its way once the car is truly been appreciated by consumers and techies around the world.

Nissan’s investment in innovative tech has certainly paid off here, because the CES awards recognized a number of them. The Japanese automaker;s ProPILOT system and e-Pedal tech were awarded the CES Best of Innovation award winner for Vehicle Intelligence and Self-Driving Technology and CES honoree for Tech for a Better World titles respectively.

Prior to the actual CES show, the Consumer Technology Association announces the Best of Innovation award winners to get more people enthusiastic about the actual event. Next year’s show will take place in sunny Las Vegas sometime in January. Held there annually, the 2018 show will have a Nissan Leaf on display for spectators to ogle.

https://youtu.be/VxhoYtiGzjI

“It is a great honour to have this early and important recognition for the new Nissan LEAF,” said Daniele Schillaci, Nissan’s executive vice president for global marketing and sales, zero-emission vehicles and the battery business, and chairman of the management committee for the Japan/A&O region.

The new Nissan Leaf is the successor to the car that has spearheaded Nissan’s charge into the developing EV market. It builds upon the success of its predecessor by adding better battery range, sleeker looks and more innovative tech that offer better everyday convenience.

Nissan IMx showcases automaker’s tech of tomorrow

Nissan IMx, an all-electric crossover concept vehicle is the automaker’s vision of future mobility. It’s angular design coupled with the signature V-shaped grille give the car a menacing stance. The long curved bonnet and sophisticated fin shaped front fascia seems to have been inspired by the aeronautics industry.

The car is powered by Nissan Intelligent Mobility, which is the company’s approach to changing how cars are powered, driven and integrated with society. Built on the automaker’s EV platform, the IMx has a flat under body and floor, which not only lowers the centre of gravity for better driving dynamics, but increases cabin space and luggage carrying capacity.

A pair of electric motors power the front and rear wheels, giving the car AWD capabilities. Their combined power is rated at 320kW and an amazing 700Nm of torque. Juice is supplied via a high capacity battery that has been engineered for increased energy density. On a full charge, Nissan says that the IMx is able to travel 600km before needing to be recharged.

This vehicle also has autonomous driving capabilities too, thanks to a system called ProPILOT. Once engaged, the IMx stores away the steering wheel and recline all seats, leaving ample room for the driver and passengers to rest and enjoy a relaxing journey. When disengaged, the steering wheel is propped back up and the driver can than resume control over the vehicle.

Adding to that, the car is also able to drop off its driver at his/her destination then search for a suitable parking spot to recharge. Once he or she returns, the IMx unplugs from the charger and heads on over to the pick up point. It is also able to pick a suitable charging time depending on tariffs, and when possible, return power to the power grid.

The whole process is carried out efficiently, thanks in part to the increased battery capacity and connected-car technologies, including Seamless Autonomous Mobility. It’s a future that many sci-fi movies have envisioned for years and now, Nissan might be able to bring it to reality in the not so distant future.

Speaking of the car, Daniele Schillaci, executive vice president for global marketing and sales, zero-emission vehicles and the battery business, said, “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.”

Inside, the car has a panoramic OLED instrument display panel that allows for a view of the external environment in the background. Despite seeming a bit gimmicky, Nissan has also fitted a separate, wood grain-patterned display, which is positioned below the instrument panel and wraps around the interior door trims.

Through the use of artificial intelligence or AI, drivers will be able to control what’s displayed on the instrument panel with just their eye movements and hand gestures. This type of user interface negates the need for many physical buttons and switch-gear that we are accustomed to seeing in our cars today and instead, offers a less cluttered and more elegant cabin design.

We don’t know when these technologies will make thier way into mass produced Nissan vehicles, but such systems will prove to be exceptionally beneficial in our busy world. It could reduce the number of accidents resulting from inattentiveness, driver fatigue and other issues.