After two teasers that showed almost nothing, Nissan finally unveiled the Lannia mid-sized sedan at the Auto Shanghai 2015, and the good news is it looks almost like the concept with the same name.
Beijing was the place where Nissan presented the Lannia prototype in 2014, and now we get to see the production version of the youth-oriented saloon stepping on Chinese soil.
That's not a coincidence because Nissan has a precise aim with the Lannia: they only want to address China's rising young market niche, as the car was described as "ideal for those in their 20s or 30s".
The bad news is that access inside the car is not allowed at this moment, so we were only able to photograph the car from the outside. However, having a chance to examine the car's exterior allowed us to spot some similarities with the Ford Mondeo / Fusion regarding the rear end's shape and overall design.
There's also little difference between how the Lannia prototype looked like and what design features found their way into the production version. In fact, the only notable changes are LED headlights, which are thinner than in the concept along with the toned-down design of the wheels. The V-shaped grille is still there, and so are the floating roof and the kick-up C-pillars.
“Younger drivers have grown up with modern technology, such as smartphones and tablets. For them, connecting and interacting with a car feels natural,” said John Zhang, Chief Product Specialist for the Lannia.
As a result, all the infotainment technologies have been developed exclusively in China, including the audio system and the seven-inch touchscreen display. Which, unfortunately, we don't get to see and test live for now.
It's a good thing Nissan pays attention (at least in theory) to gadget-related trends, but so far there's no word on Lannia's specs. Although we can see a badge saying Pure Drive XTRONIC CVT on the sedan's boot lit, nothing official came out of Nissan's PR mechanism.
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