Electric Donk: Nissan Teases IMQ Crossover Ahead of Geneva Debut


Hot on the heels of the IMS, which debuted at the North American International Auto Show in January, Nissan is prepping another trade show darling. The Japanese automaker recently announced plans to unveil its new IMQ Concept at next week’s Geneva Motor Show.
Unfortunately, the teaser image accompanying the release is of the dreaded Hot Wheels variety.
While automotive mockups frequently possess what this author politely calls “dramatic flair,” the monster-truck sized tires on the IMQ are little more than a distraction. The body is clearly in line with most of the concepts we’ve seen coming out of Nissan recently — edgy, angular, and gray.
Unless the company secretly hopes to hit it big with donk enthusiasts, it’s also very clearly a crossover. We’re betting this is the high-riding version of the IMS (obnoxiously styled as “IMs” by the manufacturer). Expect Nissan to say the IMQ has a 115-kWh battery pack, quite a bit of power, all-wheel drive, and an unrealistic — but not impossible — maximum range. Unlike the rendering, the physical car should also have a taller roof and wheels with a circumference smaller than the moon.
The automaker claims the IMQ is a glimpse into “the future of Nissan Intelligent Mobility,” so it should also come with the IMS’ multi-tiered infotainment displays and some promise of autonomy. Assuming that happens, it’s better not to dwell on it. The real story here is design, and how the shape of the brand’s latest batch of concepts will inform future product — possibly an entire EV sub-brand.
If you’re a morning person, you can watch the unveiling on March 5th at 6:15 a.m. (ET) on Nissan’s Global YouTube channel. Otherwise the IMQ should be on display to the public at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show on March 7th.
[Image: Nissan]
Latest Car Reviews
Read moreLatest Product Reviews
Read moreRecent Comments
- SCE to AUX I charge at home 99% of the time, on a Level 2 charger I installed myself in 2012 for my Leaf. My house is 1967, 150-Amp service, gas dryer and furnace; everything else is electric with no problems. I switched from gas HW to electric HW last year, when my 18-year-old tank finally failed.I charge at a for-pay station maybe a couple times a year.I don't travel more than an hour each way in my Ioniq 1 EV, so I don't deal much with public chargers. Despite a big electric rate increase this year, my car remains ridiculously cheap to operate.
- ToolGuy 38:25 to 45:40 -- Let's all wait around for the stupid ugly helicopter. 😉The wheels and tires are cool, as in a) carbon fiber is a structural element not decoration and b) they have some sidewall.Also like the automatic fuel adjustment (gasoline vs. ethanol).(Anyone know why it's more powerful on E85? Huh? Huh?)
- Ja-GTI So, seems like you have to own a house before you can own a BEV.
- Kwik_Shift Good thing for fossil fuels to keep the EVs going.
- Carlson Fan Meh, never cared for this car because I was never a big fan of the Gen 1 Camaro. The Gen 1 Firebird looked better inside and out and you could get it with the 400.The Gen 2 for my eyes was peak Camaro as far as styling w/those sexy split bumpers! They should have modeled the 6th Gen after that.
Comments
Join the conversation
Let's make some gross generalizations about the particular individual who did this digital rendering: - They consider themselves a technological expert because they consistently keep their phone charged most days - They have never been beyond the lobby of a vehicle assembly plant - They do not own a screwdriver - Their skin has never made contact with motor oil - They have never parallel parked any vehicle, ever - They have not touched an infant car seat, since they were in an infant car seat - They have no acquaintances over the age of 50 But most importantly: - Not one pixel of their rendering will be subject to review or feedback, by anyone else at the company Someday, somewhere an automotive company will stumble upon the iterative design process... maybe.
This just makes me hate the future more than I already do.