At the Geneva Motor Show 2001 Nissan continues to show the fruits of its thorough efforts in creating exciting new models for the market under a clear, consistent and strong philosophy by displaying three concept cars on the press days. Nissan's Chappo concept car will make its world premier, while the Z Concept makes its first European appearance. The presence of the Nissan X‑TRAIL concept anticipates the launch of the production version this summer.
The Chappo is unusual because, unlike most concept cars, it isn't designed from the outside in, it is designed from the inside out. So while this asymmetrical, compact, tall-two-box city car Chappo has a uniquely innovative exterior shape, what's far more important is what Nissan's designers have achieved inside - a new approach to interior space.
Chappo is designed in anticipation of a future generation of young, sophisticated, city-car users who want their car to be more than a means of transport. A generation for which the car has also become a social space for people to gather : their mobile space.
It is a car with the space and equipment to become a 'living-room on wheels'. A place for one person to relax in calm surroundings, to meet with friends, to work, to enjoy music or videos, maybe to surf the web or to play interactive games.
The design theme of Chappo shows clear signs of Nissan's Japanese roots, but interpreted in a futuristic way. It reiterates themes of a traditional tearoom and incorporates styling cues inspired by Japan's typical tatami texture and circular windows. The name Chappo also picks up on Nissan's rich history of design as it is similar in name to one of Nissan's pike cars, the Chapeau. This is indicative of Nissan's intention to innovate while making good use of one its core equities _] its rich design heritage.
In Nissan's sporty heritage, one letter stands out above all else - the letter Z. The long-awaited Z Concept makes its European debut this year in Geneva.
The first hints to the possibility of a new Z car came with the Z Concept styling exercise which appeared on the North American Auto Show circuit in 1999. It was presented as an initial styling and feasibility study, and was so enthusiastically welcomed by the public and the media that Nissan immediately began to explore the next steps towards a production reality.
The 2001 Z Concept has moved on from the 1999 version. That had stronger visual links with the original, 1970s 240Z. The 2001 Concept is Nissan's expression of a truly contemporary sports car - more forward than backward looking, while reflecting both the fine Z heritage and Nissan's new design spirit -- characterised by a blend of emotion and technology.
Appropriately for a car whose most famous ancestor stormed the American market with the best of Japanese design, quality and performance, the 2001 Z Concept is a joint project between
American and Japanese branches of Nissan's
worldwide design network. The Concept was developed at Nissan Design America (NDA) in La Jolla, California, and both interior and exterior styling features input from NDA and Nissan Technical Centre (NTC) in Atsugi, Japan.
The Nissan X‑TRAIL concept car combines exciting new technologies and a fresh new design in a compact 4x4 -- a fitting celebration of 50 years of 4x4 production. This authentic 4x4 is engineered to appeal to a wide range of customers, offering class-leading safety and electronics technology. With the sophisticated on-road ride, supported by integrated safety systems, comes real off-road ability.
The X‑TRAIL concept car is a showcase of new features which will be available on the production vehicles to be launched this summer. The ALL-MODE 4x4 system offers instant response under all conditions, combining the benefits of Nissan's electronics expertise with rugged build quality.
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