At this year’s Geneva Motor Show (8-18th March), Nissan have announced their intention to debut two all-new concept cars. Nissan say one will remain a closely guarded secret until the show, while the other one is this, the Nissan INVITATION. The Nissan INVITATION is a preview of a new hatchback model which will go on sale in 2013.
The Nissan INVITATION will be sold alongside the company’s other compact model, the Micra. And instead of acting as a replacement, it will be positioned as a slightly larger alternative. In terms of styling, Nissan’s design team have tried, and for the most part failed, to make the INVITATION look exciting. Everything that’s appealing about the car’s appearance, the big wheels, lowered stance, neat LED headlights, compact side mirrors, dual exhausts, and rear diffuser will more than likely be either toned down or deleted before the car hits the showrooms.
That’s not meant as a diss to Nissan’s design department. It’s rare that you get a hatchback that is desirable. But when you put the INVITATION up against the likes of the Alfa Romeo MiTo or Citroen DS3 it looks really dull and unimaginative. Not that many prospective buyers will be put off by the INVITATION’s appearance, it’s not ugly. Just unoriginal. What typical hatchback buyers will be more concerned with is practicality and economy, and Nissan know that.
François Bancon, Deputy Division General Manager of Product Strategy and Product Planning Division, said of the Nissan INVITATION: “The name we have given to this concept is self-explanatory. It is designed to be inviting thanks to its sensuous exterior design and generous and comfortable interior space, cleverly packaged within compact overall dimensions.”
Nissan is aiming for a low CO2 emission target of under 100g/km for the most frugal model. While even the most powerful variants will still be eligible for the company’s Pure Drive badge which denotes low emission models.
Aside from being frugal, the INVITATION has been designed with safety in mind. Among the features is Nissan’s Around View Monitor (AVM) safety technology – fitted for the first time on a B-segment car – which helps simplify reversing and parallel parking.
Source: Nissan
