Following the success of the Nissan Qashqai concept that was shown at the Geneva motor show in 2004, the company’s central London design studio has been busy penning a smaller sibling, the Qazana, intended as a teaser of how a future production vehicle will look.
The curvaceous exterior draws its inspiration from beach buggys and mixes this with various nods to the design language and features of other Nissan products; boomerang taillights that are an evolution of those found on the 370Z, a side-window line that rises as it reaches the c-pillar like the production Qashqai and US-market Rogue and a practically full-width front grille that similar to that found on the Murano. The outsize wheelarches are also a nod to other Nissan SUVs and, together with the car’s high waistline, belie its relatively small dimensions (the Qazana being only slightly larger than the European Nissan Micra). The overall impression then, is of a compact yet tough vehicle.
Inside, the sporty character of the car is clearly present. The centre tunnel in particular draws its inspiration strongly from the forms of motorbike fuel tanks and the interplay of hard and soft materials lends a semi stripped-down feel that is balanced by the sweeping curves of the door panels, seats and dashboard.
Standing out from a sea of show cars that mostly failed to accurately gauge the mood of the times when it was unveiled earlier this year in Geneva, the big test for Nissan now is whether they can keep from watering down the unique character of this car as they ready it for production.
See more images of the Nissan Qazana concept after the jump.
Source: Car Body Design
[...] snagged from: swipelife [...]