The mission for the design team in charge of designing the lines and shapes of the future Qashqai is certainly an arduous one. Designing the new version of a successful SUV, the best seller in its segment in Europe in 2018, is perhaps even more difficult than creating a completely new model. A taste of the next Qashqai was on view at the Geneva Motor Show, where Nissan presented the IMQ concept. We had the chance to meet Matthew Waver, head of design for the brand in Europe, and Alfonso Albaisa, in charge of global styling for the Japanese group.
“The shapes of the IMQ are completely new. The first thing you notice is its large scenic presence, arising from the smooth surfaces with very high, pronounced edges,” Albaisa explained, while stroking the sides of the SUV. The design of the vehicle features few broken lines, which achieve harmony in not being too strong.
All of this without the typical exasperation of a show car, such as enormous 22-inch wheels, or wardrobe-like door openings. At the rear, there is a line that drops down as far as the top edge of the new boomerang-shaped lights, which are a re-interpretation of a classic stylistic feature of the Japanese maker, this time very slim.
“The interior trims give off a special feeling of calm and cosiness. The materials include the latest generation, laser cut cloths, inspired by the Kumiko geometric patterns, the art of woodworking,” explains Wave. The dashboard has a single, large display, perfectly integrated, frameless and capable of supporting augmented reality technology, that Nissan renamed Invisible to Visible.
