WATCH:
Interview with Nissan Senior Vice President and Chief
Creative Officer Shiro Nakamura
(video
below)
LOS ANGELES --
The
Nissan Ellure hybrid concept vehicle made its world debut at the
2010 Los Angeles Auto Show on the first of two media days. It is
equipped with a 2.5-liter inline 4-cyclinder engine and a 25 kW
electric motor. The Ellure also features front-wheel drive, regenerative
braking and drive-by-wire electric/hydraulic steering. The new sedan
is purely a concept, however some design features may be used on
future Nissan vehicles.
"It is
sort of a new sedan, we want to create an appealing sedan,"
said Shiro Nakamura, senior vice president and chief creative officer
for Nissan Motor Co. "Exterior wise, it's a combination of
solid and varied flowing lines. Actually, this represents our design
direction for coming next-generation sedan line-up."
The Ellure grille
was inspired by "Kamishino" Samuri formal coat. The grille
slats combine with brushed edges and bright surfaces to add a jewel-liked
surface. The headlights and taillights resemble the layering of
fins or wings of a bird. The concept vehicle also has a full tinted
glass roof with interior nighttime accent lights.
"Inside is a very
interesting concept," Nakamura added. "During daytime
and nighttime, you can chance ambient atmosphere. It has very lounge-like,
sofa-like. You can enjoy nighttime like a club lounge. Daytime you
can use like a sedan. Nighttime, you can use like a lounge-type
of vehicle."
Since the Ellure is purely
a concept vehicle, the fuel economy has not been announced. There
are no plans to create an electric version of the Ellure at this
time.
"We will have electric
vehicle with Sedan package, but it's not coming for a while,"
the senior vice president and chief creative officer said. "We
have Nissan Leaf."
The Ellure is a four-passenger
sedan with two doors on each side that open in opposite directions.
Instead of a typical vehicle where the doors open the same way,
this idea gives the Ellure a feeling of openness.
"We want to make
the sedan very innovative-looking sedan," Nakamura explained.
"That can be a difference from others. This is a pure concept
car, it will not be sold. The future may look like this."
The
Los Angeles Auto Show has the rare distinction of being
recognized by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs
d'Automobiles (OICA), one of only two in the U.S.
