NAIAS 2017: Nissan's Vmotion 2.0 Concept is Tomorrow's Corporate Styling, Today

Nissan debuted the Vmotion 2.0 concept car Monday at the North American International Auto Show. While not the only Japanese company to introduce a new styling language for its midsize sedan this week, Nissan may have done the most commendable job.

However, the automaker is being very careful to not accidentally call the concept an Altima, despite the two having nearly identical dimensions. Instead, the company wants the Vmotion 2.0 to herald the new design direction for all of its sedans. Especially important is the dramatic V-shaped front end. While Nissan has already implemented the shape on models ranging from the Maxima to the Rogue, it wants to use the bodywork to unify the brand — similar to Pontiac’s split grille of yesteryear, or BMW’s twin kidneys.

Less of a guarantee is the floating roof design made possible by a slender and disjointed C-pillar, a little carbon fiber, and a lot of glass. Pinched rear pillars and separated ceilings are definitely the trends du jour, but they do make cars look unashamedly futuristic.

The Vmotion 2.0’s suicide doors are also unlikely to make their way to the Altima, but we may see the longer hood and fastback silhouette.

Nissan says the concept hints at the future of the company’s”Intelligent Mobility,” including a future vision for its ProPILOT autonomous driving functionality. However far away that hypothetical technology may be — this is a concept, after all — the automaker is already working out the aesthetics surrounding it. The front and rear of the vehicle has glowing lights to indicate when it is operating in semi-autonomous mode, while the driver receives updates on the car’s progress from a huge screen that spans practically the entire width of the dashboard.

With no technical specifications available, it’s not worth getting overly excited about the science surrounding the Vmotion 2.0. However, feel free to get as riled up as you’d like over the soon-to-be contemporary styling that should eventually spill over into Nissan’s next round of new models.

Speaking of which, the Altima is due to be redesigned in 2018.

[Images: Nissan]