Nissan Arizon concept previews rugged electric 4x4

Nissan has revealed the Arizon concept SUV as a sharply styled 4x4 that will evolve into a "driver-centric" SUV for China. 

Revealed at the Shanghai motor show, the concept was developed by a team of Nissan's Chinese engineers and is aimed at being a "multi-functional partner", providing software- and AI-enhanced services to make life easier for drivers, specifically those looking for a high degree of personalisation using in-car technology and digital connectivity.

Nissan COO Ashwani Gupta said: “China is one of the most technologically sophisticated markets in the world. Market and customer needs are rapidly changing, making China a global driver of electrification as well as a leader in connected car services. There is a need for increased electrification and advanced sustainability in the market, and we're working hard to meet it.”

Notable features of the electric SUV concept include a virtual personal assistant named Eporo that will act as an in-car equivalent to Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa, providing the driver with real-time traffic information, weather and other data.

It also sports an interior lighting system with facial recognition to automatically adapt the level of interior lighting to suit a particular driver's preferences. This is adjusted through four modes: Leisure, Relax, Sleep and Surprise. It also has an automatically dimming panoramic sunroof to make the interior as light as possible.

Externally, the Arizon features a grilleless front fascia, slim headlights, uniquely styled two-tone alloy wheels and an upright, muscular stance at the rear with a full-width light bar.

It does without a C-pillar for improved visibility and has suicide rear doors for easy access, although these are unlikely to make production. 

The production Arizon will be built on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance's CMF-EV platform, which is already used by the Nissan Ariya and Renault Mégane E-Tech Electric.