Crossover pioneer Nissan has revealed a new concept car which points to an innovative new future for the marque.
Conceived by designers in Europe and Japan, the Nissan Gripz Concept blends the ability and practicality of a compact crossover with the excitement and performance of a sports car.
Infused with an exciting and adventurous feel, thanks to its radical design and advanced powertrain concept – theNissan Gripz Concept is Nissan’s next move as a game changer, and is a glimpse of how a future compact crossover from the pioneer of the segment might look.
The Nissan Gripz Concept is designed as a car with a dual personality; a vehicle that can handle the day-to-day commute and deliver a genuine adventure at the weekend.
In the same way a cyclist will use a bike to get to work and then head out on that same machine for an adrenaline fuelled ride when the working day is over, so too can the driver of the Nissan Gripz Concept tackle the city streets during the week before enjoying a drive over a mountain pass on a day off.
The Nissan Gripz Concept is equipped with an EV technology based Series hybrid system ‘Pure Drive e-Power’. An efficient petrol engine is used to power the electric motor found in the Nissan LEAF.
The powertrain combines Nissan’s various control technologies from its years of experience developing EVs. This configuration delivers smooth, swift and linear acceleration in near-silence, with supreme efficiency. As a result, the Nissan Gripz Concept offers a smooth, refined and exhilarating driving experience with outstanding fuel efficiency.
The Nissan Gripz Concept is seen as a design statement rather than a replacement for an existing model, although it does feature cues from Nissan’s new ‘emotionalgeometry’ design language.
The Crossover concept incorporates four key design elements first seen in Europe on the Nissan Sway, one of the stars of the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. As with Sway, Gripz features a V-motion grille, boomerang lamps front and rear, a floating roof and a kicked-up C pillar.
However, the similarities end there. While Sway hinted at a possible direction for a compact hatchback, the Nissan Gripz Concept is quite the different proposition.
