For this edition of the Geneva Motor Show, Nissan though that a crossover would be the best exhibit to showcase. IMQ Concept is how it’s called, and e-POWER delivers a combined output of 340 PS (335 horsepower) and 700 Nm (516 pound-feet) of torque on full song.
The C-segment utility vehicle “signals the direction of the next generation of crossovers,” an ambiguous statement considering that Nissan didn’t give a date or a nameplate in this regard. Looking at the bigger picture, didn’t Nissan make a similar promise with the IMx and IMx Kuro concepts?
Turning our attention back to e-POWER, the electric drivetrain has been developed from the Nissan Note and Serena sold in Japan, built around a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine. The multi-motor arrangement further translates to all-wheel drive and torque vectoring, delivering independent control to each wheel with the help of software.
As expected of the IMQ, ProPILOT driving assistance technologies are included. Nissan claims “enhanced autonomous driving capabilities” are possible, but doesn’t give details in this regard except for the Invisible-to-Visible technology unveiled in January 2019 at the Consumer Electronics Show.
Penned at the automaker’s European design center, the IMQ is sharper than a Lexus as far as exterior design is concerned. The 22-inch alloy wheels with Bridgestone Connect tires are nothing more than wishful thinking, more so if you remember that smart tires aren’t usable in day-to-day driving conditions.
Once you open the driver’s door, the cabin reveals a “gliding wing” instrument panel and center console that stretches back between the front seats into the rear. This is an obsolete design considering an EV doesn’t need a transmission tunnel or center console. In other words, the design department was more interested in looks than space, comfort, and practicality.
“The IMQ’s design combines traditional and modern Japanese influences and shows what’s possible when future crossovers are powered by Nissan Intelligent Mobility,” explains Alfonso Albaisa, senior vice president of design. “With the IMQ, the interior and exterior are seamlessly blended together, signaling what our design direction may be for Nissan’s third generation of crossovers in Europe.”
