The sedan is dying but it’s not dead. Nissan’s created what a future electrified performance luxury sedan might be and we like it.
We’ll admit that we got caught in the “sedans are dead” movement but the fact of the matter is that, in North America, it still accounted for over 4.25 million sales in the US in 2018. While Volkswagen might be concentrating on the present with their new Passat, Nissan’s taken aim at the not too distant future with their honestly lovely Nissan IMs Concept.
In the meantime, Nissan has the all-electric Nissan LEAF Plus to offer buyers looking for a long-range electric vehicle today.
As we all know, the future is all-electric and so is the IMs. And the specs read exactly as we’d want them to, starting with one electric motor at each axle. The AWD IMs Concept uses a 115 kWh quick-charging battery and all told, power output is of 360 kW (483-horsepower) 800 Nm (590 lb.-pi.) of torque.
Nissan did not provide any performance numbers but it’ll be quick. And it will go far with a projected range of 610 km. The adjustable pneumatic suspension will deliver equal parts stability and comfort.
The IMs’ styling points to Nissan’s future design language where simple sculptured lines are prevalent. Nissan’s V-Motion grille is equally prominent as are the 22-inch wheels. While not completely innovative, the IMs is quite a looker.
While the driving experience should be good, it’s how passengers will be treated onboard that is noteworthy. Built to mimic a lounging area, the IMs’ cabin is, in a word, huge. The car’s long wheelbase allows for a 2+1+2 seating arrangement where the 1st row perches can swivel when the IMs is autonomously taking you where you want to go. The final row bench’s outboard seats are smaller and can be folded away and create a first-class seating area.
Although this may sound complex the reality is that the whole of the interior is spartan and inspired by timeless Japanese minimalism. La large dashboard incorporates four screens, one of which is located behind the retractable steering wheel.
The level of technology is huge and includes the “invisible-to-visible” technology that utilizes augmented reality Nissan unveiled at the recent CES show in Las Vegas.
If this is the future of the sedan, we think they still have plenty of life left in them.
