Striking new concept previews electric Nissan Juke

The new crossover has been designed to showcase the future design direction for the Japanese firm's electric cars.

The Hyper Punk is described as "functional and stylish", blending virtual and physical features in a bid to appeal to a style-focused audience.

The fourth of five entrants in Nissan's 'Hyper' concept family developed for this year's Tokyo motor show, it follows the Hyper Adventure SUV, Hyper Urban crossover and Hyper Tourer MPV (below) in gaining vehicle-to-grid charging technology, striking origami-inspired styling cues and AI-powered mood-sensing technology that automatically adjusts the lighting and music.

Although Nissan did not originally indicate which of the 'Hyper' concepts will evolve directly into production cars, it has already confirmed it will launch 19 new electric cars from now until 2030.

This paves the way for an EV successor to the Juke, in addition to the Serena, Qashqai and X-Trail, as implied by the other four mainstream 'Hyper' studies.

A Nissan GT-R successor is also on the way, as confirmed by the shock reveal of the Hyper Force concept.

Nissan Hyper Tourer concept: everything you need to know

This Volvo EM90-rivalling minivan is designed to feature fully autonomous capability, high-density solid-state batteries, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology and a strong focus on aerodynamics. 

The aero-optimised exterior design affords it a rather featureless, flat-sided body with sharp lines and deep, chiselled front and rear bumpers. Channels have been created in the bodywork to smooth airflow, the wheels have been designed to have as little drag as possible and it does without door mirrors. Its high waistline is decorated with a white strip that morphs into the daytime-running light at the front.

The luxury theme continues inside, where it's said to combine technology with "the essence of omotenashi" (Japanese hospitality), and has been developed with long-distance travel in mind.

Its high-density batteries have been packaged in such a way as to maximise interior space and keep the centre of gravity as low as possible for smoother acceleration and braking.

The Hyper Tourer gets front seats that swivel 360deg to allow the front and rear passengers to face each other when the car is driving autonomously. Passengers in the rear can also wear a display much like a virtual-reality headset that allows them to operate the infotainment screen up front.

Nissan claims that AI will be used to monitor several aspects of the passenger's health – such as their heart rate, breathing and perspiration – and automatically adjust the ambient lighting and select music to "fit the mood".

The ambient lighting comes chiefly from a light pattern on the roof, said to be a depiction of traditional Japanese patterns, and a floor made entirely out of LEDs displaying images of riverbeds and the sky. According to Nissan, this creates "a relaxing space where digital and nature are fused."

Its V2X technology is also seen on the Hyper Urban and Hyper Adventure concepts and allows it to supply electricity via its solid-state battery to homes, to offices and while travelling. This could be useful in selling electricity back to the national grid or powering a home during a blackout.

Nissan will give more details about the concept, which has yet to be confirmed for future production, at the Tokyo motor show.