Not to be outdone by its luxury brand Infiniti's handsome QX Inspiration electric crossover, Nissan has brought its own fancy EV to the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Bucking current trends, the IMs concept won't be a utility vehicle, but rather an "elevated sports sedan." Furthermore, it features unique exterior proportions, a rather interesting interior and, of course, lots of useful technology.
The Nissan IMs has a sporty stance with 22-inch wheels complementing a low, sleek roofline. The hood looks long with the car's glasshouse pushed rearward, its glass roof tapering to within inches on the rear fascia. The front lighting mimics the geometry of Nissan's signature "V-Motion" grilles, while the rear element extends all the way across the trunk and into the body panel. The sides of the car lack door handles, and the absence of a B-pillar allows the doors to open wide to a spacious cabin. In all, it plays a nice, dark counterpart to the Infiniti Q Inspiration sedan shown last year at NAIAS.
Interior space is maximized put pitting a flat battery pack beneath the floor of the IMs. Interesting shapes and textures abound throughout. The front is dominated by a four-screen user interface. The rear features three seats, with the outboard two folding down to create a central, lounge-like "premier seat."
The new electric vehicle platform features a 115-kWh battery pack powering front and rear electric motors to give the IMs all-wheel drive. Output is a hefty 483 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. Nissan claims a driving range of 380 miles on a charge. In addition to its low center of gravity, the car's adaptive air suspension helps provide a smooth ride and flat cornering.
While it sounds fun to drive, the IMs offers a fully autonomous driving mode. The IMs also features Nissan's new Invisible-to-Visible connected-car technology, which first debuted at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas earlier this month. This tech used augmented reality to show the driver things they otherwise couldn't see, provide realtime traffic information, and even put a virtual passenger in the car to keep the driver company. Furthermore, an "interior sensing platform" can monitor the driver's condition; it can detect facial expressions and body posture, and bring the car safely to a stop if the driver becomes incapacitated.
While some of the features in the Nissan IMs seem over-the-top, we like the overall concept. Even if we never get a virtual passenger or luxurious "premier seat," we'd love to see Nissan make a sleek, high-riding, powerful electric sedan. The design, led by the capable hand of Nissan senior V.P. of design, Alfonso Albaisa, is magnetic. The IMs simply goes to show that Nissan's vision of an EV future is one we'd love to live in.
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