With the demise of the Cube and Murano CrossCabriolet, Nissan’s lineup suddenly lacks eccentric models, perhaps with the exception of the Juke crossover.
But that will change in the future, as Nissan pledges to add an iconic design to keep its lineup quirky.
Nissan’s chief planning officer Andy Palmer says the brand needs a head-turner to capitalize on its innovative image. That role has been played by the boxy Cube compact since 2009, with Nissan launching another controversial design in 2011, the Murano CrossCabriolet, which was a convertible version of the Murano crossover.
Both these models have been dropped from Nissan’s 2015 lineup in the United States, but Nissan promises another offering that will generate just as much buzz.
“To be clear, we will morph this space in our portfolio into something iconic. The space is held to make sure we have something iconic,” Palmer told Autonews. However, the executive didn’t offer additional details about what the company is preparing.
Still, if we look at Nissan’s recent concept cars we may find an answer. The wedge-shaped BladeGlider would no doubt be the most striking as a production car but it won’t be easy for Nissan to build it as DeltaWing Technologies, the company which first used the unusual design, is pursuing legal action against Nissan. Furthermore, DeltaWing has already hinted at a production car, which will no doubt make it hard for Nissan to bring the BladeGlider to market.
Another Nissan concept that may be produced is the IDx, a Datsun 510-inspired sporty coupe concept. However, according to recent report the IDx would be too expensive for Nissan to build on its own, which is why it may be delayed or even cancelled.
By Dan Mihalascu
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