If you ask anyone what can be found in the North Hall of CES, they’ll probably tell you: cars. That’s because most of the show floor there shines with cutting-edge vehicle after vehicle, with many visitors running from one booth to the other.
We stopped at Nissan, wanting to see with our own eyes the car that symbolizes a new design direction for Nissan and embodies several technologies that we’ll definitely see in the next five years and more.
Ariya Car Concept has nothing to do with the character from Game of Thrones; well, if you don’t count the valor and beauty Dan Passe, General Manager Global Product Communications, thinks it exudes. From outside, you can see the edgy lines, refined chassis and a crossover body that Nissan is pretty proud of.
In fact, they’re saying this car concept perfects “the little things so [the user] just feels right”. In what way you ask? Well, the interior is completely redesigned, as Nissan is hoping to convey from this point forward “timeless Japanese futurism”.
Minimalist interiors, cutting-edge acoustic meta material
Instead of huge screens taking over the entire dashboard, we saw a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, with haptic buttons that is then continued by an instrument-panel screen. If you look closely through, there’s a break between them. That’s intentional, as Nissan wanted to have one screen at perfect eye distance, while the other one at perfect reach distance.
They are definitely going minimal with the interior design, while not forgetting to add a bit more leg room and isolate the cabin much more.
To give you the best user experience in an electric crossover possible, Nissan created an innovate acoustic meta-material. This was made from a combination of a lattice structure and plastic film that can control air vibrations to limit the transmission of wide frequency band noise (500-1200 hertz), such as road and engine noise.
Normally, such materials are very heavy, but Nissan’s product weighs one-fourth of any of those. Drivers and passengers are not only going to drive a car that is all about enjoying your conversations during the ride, without external noise, but one that contributes to a better world. A lighter vehicle limits the environmental impact of driving by improving the energy efficiency.
Dan Passe said that drivers will likely get all this features in a market-ready car very soon. Even better, it’s going to be one that will be within reach of the average EV buyer. Don’t worry, it seems it won’t break the bank!
It’s the little things [that count] to make the user feel just right
Finally, Nissan Ariya showed off an all new motor! Yes, the concept car currently outshines all others for its innovative tech, user experience and what will be, most likely, a decent price, but it will not disappoint on the road either. Nissan debuted e-4orce, a twin-motor all-wheel-control.
The 100% electric motor drive system will give instant torque to all wheels, while minimizing vehicle pitch and dive. E-4orce uses regenerative braking from both front and rear motors, making city drives less stress-inducing. Outside the city, on rougher, bumpier roads, motor control will take over so you don’t get jostled against the front seats or dashboard.
Expect some news from Nissan regarding the market-ready version of the car in the following months.
This is one of several products that have won a TechTheLead Award, after being carefully selected by our editorial staff from all registered entries. Special Awards have been given to products and companies that the editorial staff hand-picked for their outstanding features. The TechTheLead Awards go to products/companies that embody at least one of the following criteria: most innovative features, most compelling use cases, best price versus quality ratio, best user experience, most positive impact for user and society.
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