Nissan Introduces a New Era in Crossover Design

Nissan's pioneering design and innovation provide the headlines at the 66th Frankfurt Motor Show with a stand display that showcases the brand's unique ability to challenge the conventional and deliver excitement at every level. With a striking array of bold new ideas and ground-breaking developments in Nissan's celebrated EV range, Nissan again confirms its status as one of the most innovative and forward-thinking brands in the industry. 

Packed with innovation and introducing a bold new design language, the Nissan Gripz Concept is the key highlight of Nissan's 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show presence. Conceived and designed by teams in Europe and Japan, the Nissan Gripz Concept offers a tantilising glimpse into the future of Crossover design. 

Created to be a ‘sports road warrior', the Nissan Gripz Concept combines the practicality and ability of a compact Crossover with the performance, excitement and driver engagement of a traditional sports car. This unique combination gives Gripz a dual personality - delivering the perfect blend of everyday refinement and agility with the ability to take on more adventurous terrain when desired. 

The Nissan Gripz Concept not only illustrates the brand's ‘no boundaries' approach to design, it also showcases Nissan's engineering possibilities. Gripz debuts a prototype hybrid system based on technologies developed for the brand's best-selling electric vehicle (EV) models.

"Nissan pioneered the idea of the compact crossover, and this is reflected in the enormous popularity of Qashqai and Juke and the resulting growth of the market segment as other manufacturers play catch-up." 

"While the Nissan Gripz Concept is not seen as a direct replacement for either of those two iconic vehicles, it does show the extremes to which the compact crossover can be pushed," said Shiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer.

Created through collaboration between Nissan Design Europe in London and Nissan Global Design Center in Japan, the exterior of the Nissan Gripz Concept is guided by the ‘emotional geometry' body sculpting concept which depicts strong contrasts through the dynamic, tensional, yet edgy surface.  

Nissan's leadership and innovation in the EV market takes another significant step forward at Frankfurt with the announcement of a new battery for the LEAF that delivers a driving range of up to 250 km - an increase of 26 percent. The new sector-first 30 kWh battery is at the heart of the new 2016MY LEAF which too makes its global debut at Frankfurt. Thanks to revised internal chemistry and new electrode materials, the new battery transforms the Nissan LEAF driving and ownership experience and reinforces its position as the most capable, practical and affordable electric vehicle in the world.

Frankfurt 2015 also sees the European debut of the all-new NP300 Navara. Redesigned using Nissan's celebrated Crossover philosophy, the NP300 Navara builds on Nissan's eighty year experience in the pick-up sector with some of the most advanced design and engineering features in the industry. With new technology, bold design and clever engineering at its heart, the new NP300 Navara sets new standards in every key area. Comfort levels have been raised significantly, thanks to the introduction of a redesigned interior, while the integration of a new lightweight multi-link rear suspension system transforms ride quality.

Nissan's presence at the Frankfurt Motor Show comes as the brand continues to grow. Nissan has strengthened its advantage both the electric vehicle and Crossover markets, with record sales and surging demand in both key sectors. 

Nissan has launched nine new models globally since the start of 2014 and thanks to the brand's focus on new segments and high-growth markets, European sales continue to rise. In the first eight months of 2015, Nissan has sold 501,150* units - a nine percent increase over the same period in 2014.