Nissan has two generations of its Leaf electric car
under its belt, but for its next electric act, focus will shift to the
crossover segment.
According to a report from Automotive News on
Saturday, US dealers said the company showed them an upcoming compact
crossover with an electric powertrain last month. Per the report, the
compact electric crossover is set for arrival in the US in 2021 and
takes cues from the IMx concept
shown at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show. A second concept will supposedly
show up at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show that previews the production
crossover more closely.
Photos were not permitted at the event, but dealers described the
electric crossover as a vehicle comparable in size to the current Rogue , but with interior space closer to the larger Murano
. The electric powertrain's packaging opens up far more space for
designers and engineers to take advantage of inside the vehicle --
namely a flat floor due to the lack of a transmission tunnel.
Other
details dealers shared included a range of 300 miles, room for five
passengers and a 0-60 mph time of under 5 seconds. The battery-electric
crossover also sits on a new platform, per the dealer sources.
The unnamed vehicle will be Nissan's first new electric vehicle since the Leaf launched 10 years ago. Since then, the second-generation Leaf arrived to carry the torch, though only after its launch did Nissan add a more competitive model with a 226-mile range.
The standard Leaf will only go 151 miles on a full charge. Consumers
often name range as a major deciding factor against an EV purchase and
numerous other EVs tout ranges well over 230 miles.
What's most
intriguing is the cockpit, which dealers said is incredibly futuristic.
Not a single physical button is present and the digital dashboard
supposedly doesn't show its face until the driver starts the car. Just a
pulsating start button is the only thing you'll see before firing up
the electric crossover.
On the technology front, dealers also said Nissan will include the second generation of its ProPilot Assist technology. The system promises Cadillac Super Cruise
levels of autonomy (Level 2 on the SAE autonomy scale). In layman's
terms, the electric crossover should be able to drive itself from
on-ramp to off-ramp on US interstates without the need for a driver to
place their hands on the steering wheel.
Nissan declined to comment on the report. The Tokyo Motor Show kicks off at the end of October, so we'll have to see if the automaker will be prepared to share more at that point.
