Nissan IMQ Concept – a glimpse of where the Qashqai is going

The Nissan IMQ Concept arrives at the Geneva Motor Show as a preview of what we might expect from the next generation of Nissan’s best-selling Qashqai.

There’s been plenty of new supercar, hypercar and EV metal on the floor in Geneva, but this – the Nissan IMQ Concept – is perhaps more significant than all of them. Why? Becuase it previews where Nissan is going with the next generation Qashqai.

The Qashqai almost single-handedly created its sector and change the direction of Nissan, and the Qashqai remains a huge seller for Nissan in the UK (although the X-Trail is more successful globally). So the next generation is a big deal.

Unlike the Juke, the Qashqai has always been a middle of the road car in design terms, with Nissan playing safe to deliver a car which doesn’t polarise opinion. But that looks set to change.

The IMQ Concept (IM stands for intelligent Mobility. Guess what the Q stands for) is very concepty with its huge wheels, suicide doors, floating glass roof and in yer face grille (where have we seen that before?), but the shape looks likely to be where the next Qashqai is going.

The IMQ has lots of fancy detailing, with closely grouped surfacing lines (lamellas) on the grille and the cladding on the lower edges – all part of the Japanese principle of ‘Ma’ structural harmony – and slim boomerang headlights.

Unde  the skin, the IMQ has a new version of Nissan’s ePower powertrain with a 1.5 litre acting as a generator to charge batteries which then power the electric motors – one on each axle – and deliver an impressive 335bhp. It seems likely Nissan will roll out e-Power models in Europe before long.

Expect to see the IMQ turn in to the new Qashaqi in a couple of years.