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Nissan IMx Concept Is Not the Right Choice After New LEAF Semi-Flop

Nissan was one of the pioneers of the electric vehicle having launched the LEAF back in 2011 and sold over one-quarter of a million of them since then.
Nissan IMx Concept 16 photos
Photo: Nissan
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This year, the long-awaited successor of the electric hatchback was introduced, and it's safe to say it was as revolutionary as a two-prong fork. With Tesla's Model 3 already out of the bag, there was absolutely no aspect in which Nissan's effort bested the Californian EV, apart from a slightly lowered price.

Power, range, sexiness - it fell well short on all accounts, its only redeeming trait being that you might not have to wait over a year to drive one. You almost feel like Nissan felt the launch was a bit underwhelming and immediately announced it would add a more visually pleasing Nismo version.

Well, just a little over one month later, it had the chance to redeem itself. The Japanese carmaker announced it would reveal another EV at the Tokyo Motor Show, and the teasers made it obvious we were looking at an SUV/crossover type of vehicle.

However, presenting a new model so soon after the LEAF meant it would steal the latter's thunder (the feeble thunder that it had), so the Tokyo Motor Show premiere couldn't be anything other than a concept. The Nissan IMx Concept, to be more precise.

The IMx falls into the mold of modern crossovers that sacrifice practicality for a bit of added style. It has a low roofline that drops smoothly toward the rear, very tiny side windows that would make for a very dark interior were it not for the tall windshield and the glass roof, plus the mandatory aggressive design.

According to Nissan, the IMx "embodies the future of Nissan Intelligent Mobility," which is the name given by the Japanese company to its program regarding electrification, autonomous driving, and vehicle communication.

Nissan revealed some of the IMx's specs, but being a concept, they're as relevant as a toad's shoe size. The company claims it gets two high-output electric motors for all-wheel-drive and a total power of 320 kW (435 hp) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft). It also gets over 600 km (372 miles) of maximum range from a battery pack of unspecified capacity.

A look at the interior suggests the IMx has full autonomous features, and again, since it's a concept, it does. The steering wheel stows away in the dashboard, and the driver loses their title, becoming a passenger just like the other maximum of three persons in the car. The seats swivel to face each other, and it's chatting time. Or throwing up time if you don't like traveling facing the rear.

Nissan did not say whether the IMx's styling has anything to do with the upcoming LEAF-based crossover. As it stands, it doesn't fit with the company's policy of offering vehicles that are useful before anything else, so we should be looking at a different shape on the production model. Let's just hope the powertrain and battery pack are less fantasy-oriented than the looks.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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