Come 2012 Geneva Motor Show, the Japanese auto manufacturer will be showcasing its all new hatchback concept called the Invitation. The Invitation is going to be a B segment vehicle targeted to sit right between Nissan’s compact hatchback, the Micra and its crossover SUV, the Juke. The production model of the Invitation is expected to hit the European markets first by 2013 or 2014 which might be followed by the Asian markets as well considering the potential growth of such models in the future.
“The name we have given to this concept is self-explanatory, the key benefit of this compact car is to be inviting. It is inviting thanks to its sensuous exterior design and generous and comfortable interior space, cleverly packaged within compact overall dimensions. It is Nissan’s Invitation to buyers in the compact hatchback segment,” François Bancon, Deputy Division General Manager, Product Strategy and Product Planning Division, Nissan, said.
The Invitation concept looks very attractive from the exterior with a large hexagonal shaped front grille with the Nissan badge right in its centre, a rectangular shaped air dam at the bottom of it and swept back headlamps. The front looks really sporty with a hint of aggressiveness to it too. The side profile is equally eye catchy with sharp lines running across it. One of the side profile lines called the “Squash Line” is clearly evident from the look while others are quite subtle. On the inside, the dashboard also looks very sporty and well laid out. The design boasts of futuristic styling elements and we are doubtful how much of these would be actually carried over to the actual production vehicle.
Special focus to aerodynamics have been given while designing the vehicle which results in Nissan Invitation achieving emissions levels as low as 100g/km. The Invitation will also feature technologies like the Nissan’s Around View Monitor (AVM) safety which makes reversing and parallel parking as stress-free as possible. In addition, Invitation also incorporates Nissan Safety Shield Technologies, which interact with the driving environment keeping the driver aware of what is happening around the car.
