News: Nissan IMx Crossover EV at Tokyo Motor Show

Concept Car Promises Future “Intelligent Mobility”

One of the missing pieces of the electric car portfolio is the crossover. Most current EVs are sedans with only Tesla offering its pricey—and large–Model X. Nissan, relishing its role as the worldwide leader in EV sales, took a significant step at the Tokyo Motor Show this week by showing the IMx—a concept crossover that could fill the void.

Like most concepts, take what was shown on the stand with a dose of skepticism. In fact, with this one, you can pretty much suspend belief that it will ever be seen in production in anything close to this form. Nissan’s past concept designs have ended up being more muted when they go on sale. Fanciful features like retractable steering wheels will disappear. Over the top performance numbers tend to shrink in the real world.

Crossover with Style

With those caveats, let’s enjoy the Nissan IMx, which Nissan presents as a glimpse “just around the corner.” The IMx is a crossover in the Land Rover Evoque, BMW X4 mode—essentially a high-riding hatchback. It offers more versatility and flexibility than its staid sedan cousins.

The IMx is not a Leaf SUV, but is built on Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi’s new global EV architecture. That flexible platform will underpin a whole generation of plug-in vehicles for the three companies.

This model promises to be more than just a peppy electric crossover. It features 430 horsepower and 516 pounds-feet of torque from two electric motors driving all four wheels. The battery pack size is not disclosed, but Nissan says it will have more than 300 miles of range.

More Than an EV

But there’s more! The IMx is the “future of mobility,” according to Nissan. It features a future version of ProPilot, Nissan’s autonomous car technology. When engaged, it will retract the steering wheel, recline the seats and take

over control of the car. The featureless (no knobs or switches) dash is designed to respond to gestures, eye movement and spoken commands. This is “just around the corner,” according to Nissan. So get ready.

At the show Nissan also formally introduced the Nismo Leaf concept, which had been previewed. It also announced that the company would be participating in Formula E racing next year, so there may be a place for all this high-horsepower EV.

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