We are witnessing a new breed of sporty crossovers emerging, with Nissan being one of the pioneers.
The term “Sport Crossover” is in its incipient stage, waiting to be further developed; it isn’t a thing yet, but it will be, and Nissan wants to make sure it will have the best seat in the house – front row center – when the show starts and the niche will take off.
Officially unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Nissan Gripz concept tries to infuse the world of mundane crossovers with a sense of adventure and performance, taking its inspiration from rally-racing and…bicycles, apparently. Yes, bicycles – the most unbounded means of personal transportation, seemingly capable of going almost anywhere.
Furthermore, the concept’s DNA also carries the traits of its rally-winning ancestors – the Datsun 240Z models – denoting the car’s dual personality, combining the excitement of a high-performance automobile with the go-anywhere capability of a bicycle.
A pretty exciting study that can preview anything, from Nissan’s future compact crossover to a fully-fledged Z performance model. The latter may seem extreme, but it doesn’t have to necessarily keep its crossover proportions, only the overall body design and style-cues.
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