Created by Nissan Design America in San Diego, California under the direction of chief designer Shiro Nakamura, the Resonance concept that was unveiled today at the Detroit Motor Show hints at the design philosophy that will be adopted by the Japanese automaker in its future crossovers and especially the Murano.
The concept features a “floating” roof and what its designers call a “V-Motion”, which starts from the grille, moves through the bonnet and “resonates” with the boomerang-shaped headlights that extend almost to the base of the steeply-raked A-pillars.
The bodywork is full of aggressive lines that are accentuated by the “Flair Orange” golden paint and the satin-chromed 22-inch alloy wheels.
“When the designers were first working on the Resonance, they were inspired by scientific advancements in technology and material innovations”, said Francois Bancon, Nissan general manager for product strategy and planning.
“They were also inspired by the aspirations of those people who embrace innovation”, he added. “It was about serving those people a concept vehicle that is forward-looking and fuses style with an athletic ride.”
We, on the other hand, venture a guess that the initial brief was about designing a possible replacement to the next-generation Murano that will be manufactured in the U.S.; but then, that’s just our two cents…
In crafting the cabin Nissan wanted to explore “what the future of first-class space travel might be”. Admittedly, they were pretty restrained, since there is a proper steering wheel, normal seats and even a center console. In fact, take away the “VIP lounge” holographic infotainment experience, put in some conventional controls and it could very well make it into production.
The same stands for the hybrid powertrain that comprises a 2.5-liter internal combustion engine, two high performance electric motors, a next-generation continuously variable transmission (CVT) and a compact laminated lithium-ion battery pack.
By Andrew Tsaousis
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