Nissan Reveals IMk Concept, New Design Cues for Brand

Nissan plans to unveil a new concept at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month. Suitable for the locale, the model is to be a fashionable EV aimed at urban commuters.

According to the manufacturer, the IMk Concept will be the best tool imaginable for that particular job. While it looks like a glitzy version of your typical Tokyo eco-box, the all-electric IMk is meant to serve as the template for the best city car ever built — likely trying its hand in markets around the world with a production version.

That said, the dimensions of the IMk will probably torpedo any ships heading to North America. At 135.2 inches long, 59.5 inches wide, and 64.7 inches tall, the model is slimmer than a Smart ForTwo and shorter/narrower than a Fiat 500. While the additional headroom will be a blessing, it’s still too small for our Rubenesque frames.

While Nissan hasn’t confirmed the IMk will enter production, it has expressed intent. Should you care that it will likely never see our reportedly spacious skies?

Nope.

The best aspects of IMk will eventually flow into other Nissan products. An “advanced version” of ProPILOT 2.0 supposedly allows the minuscule model to accomplish some level of autonomy, though Nissan already plans on offering the suite for its entire range — adding more driving aids, security features, and navigated highway trips with hands-off, single-lane driving capabilities where legal.

Nissan also referenced its “Invisible-to-Visible” (I2V) technology, saying the automobile would be able to tap into the surrounding infrastructure to predict the best time for departures while feeding the car and its driver loads of data en route. Since this is a concept vehicle, we’ll happily wait on Nissan to furnish additional details before remarking on all of the doors this is supposed to open. The manufacturer is promising everything from self-parking to the ability to see around corners.

IMk is supposed to boast enviable connectivity overall. Customers could (hypothetically) use their smartphone in lieu of a key, allowing the device to remotely set a route, adjust climate controls, or let the car know how you want the seat positioned. This, again, is something other manufacturers are developing or have already implemented, though rarely on a vehicle this small.

To be honest, it’s not a particularly interesting automobile for North American customers. It does, however, offer a preview of Nissan’s evolving design language. The IMk’s grille (which Nissan calls a shield, since it’s on an EV) is slated to become the brand’s signature styling cue, replacing the “V-motion” design we’ve grown to accept as normal.

Nissan says the overall appearance of concept is part of a new design philosophy — “Timeless Japanese Futurism” — that the brand intends on gradually adopting. We’re curious how it will look on a car with buttons, but the IMk gives us a preview of what to expect further down Nissan’s production line.

[Images: Nissan]