The Nissan Hi-Cross is a concept SUV designed by the Japanese Nissan Motors Company. This concept was unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. It also carried with the modern philosophy of design and the new technology of Nissan.[1]
Nissan has added a number of streamlining elements of rectangle and cross-country appearance design to the Hi-cross concept SUV for improvement from the previous convention, including larger size sports alloy wheels, new designed distinct character line from the hood down its flanks to D-pillar and others, which made the vehicle to be a more fashion and younger SUV .[2]
This concept SUV was also an experiment and a show of the new technology invented by the Nissan Company. Instead of the traditional large displacement engine, Nissan equipped the Hi-Cross with a 2.0-liter gas and electric hybrid engine to save energy and reduce pollution.[3] And the newly designed CVT transmission will reduce more fuel than before.[4]
As the concept Hi-cross was a compact or middle-size SUV with normal 5 or 7 seats, it was estimated that the processor of the concept Hi-cross might be the third generation of Nissan X-Trail [5] and its main competitors will be the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5.[3][2]
Overview
Background
In 2012, Japanese Motors Company, Nissan unveiled its new concept SUV, which was named as Hi-cross to the world in the 2012 Geneva International Auto Show[2] and also made its debut at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show for the North American market, which carried with the dramatic and athletic designing than before and the advanced technology of Nissan.[6] According to the manufacturers, the 'Hi' means high-riding, high innovation, high excitement and high extended value.[3]
Design
Compared to the previous conservative and cross-country SUV design, Nissan has added a significant number of modern and athletic designing elements for both the appearance and the interior of the Hi-cross concept SUV.[6]
For the styling of appearance, it combined the existing Nissan SUV designing with some new elements.[6] In the front of the SUV, it has a characteristic V-shaped Nissan grille set off by distinctive and deeply tapered LED headlamps rather than the rectangle and halogen lamps before.[6] For the two sides of the SUV, it was designed by the combination of deeply tapered LED headlamps and the curved hood line, metallic splash guard and 21-inch sports alloy wheels.[6][7] And the whole SUV was adopted a progressive crossover design, which was the character line extending from the hood down its flanks down to the D-pillar.[2] At the back of the Hi-Cross Concept, it was set off by a sculpted rear hatchback and extended rear roof spoiler and there were some stylish and trapezoidal LED tail lights that reflected the headlamp. And from the exhibition car, it can be found that the fog lamps perfectly fit with the deep custom Aurora Green painting, which was in accordance with the Aesthetic design.[6][8]
Moreover, the most dramatic designing of Hi-cross SUV was the inter-space of the car. According to the data released by Nissan, the size of the Hi-cross concept SUV was 4660 mm long, 1850 mm wide and 1670 mm tall which was normally like a compact exterior.[9] However, the inside of Hi-cross was roomy with a 109.4-inch wheelbase and three rows of seating for seven, which made it more like a middle size SUV. This made the car have larger loading and more inter-space for passengers, which would make the Hi-cross concept SUV be more competitive.[8]
And when going inside, it can be found that he Hi-Cross Concept's cockpit was dominated by a T-wing-shaped dash, which would bring an elevated sense of connection for the driver and front passenger. And the T-wing dash which was designed by a sculpted center console, matched the two-tone door panels and wonderful styled steering wheel.[6][7]
Technology
The main technologies of Nissan Hi-cross concept SUV were about the new engine and the new transmission.
Engine
Instead of the traditional large displacement V6 engine, the High-cross SUV was equipped with a hybrid 2.0-liter direct injection petrol engine and electric motor. The Hi-cross would rely in the petrol engine as the main power, while the electric motor will reduce the emissions and save the economy. Meanwhile, the power outputted by the new hybrid engine was expected to achieve the level of a 2.5-litter engine, which would not decrease the efficiency of the car.[7][8]
According to Nissan, the lithium-ion battery which powered the electric motor will be fast-charging and high output, it was coupled to a 2.0-liter supercharged direct injection petrol engine, which was a success of the innovation and has developed for the award-winning technology, Nissan LEAF®.[10][8]
Under the innovation of the engine, it would be affordable and packaged to adopt "one-motor, two-clutch" technology, which was the first clutch was installed between patrol engine and electric motor for fully decoupling the patrol engine when the car was driving in electricity and the second clutch would be located behind the transmission for helping smooth the transition. In this way, more energy would be saved and fully used to increase the working efficiency of the engine and save fuel.[6]
Transmission
The other advanced technology of the Hi-cross was the new generation XTRONIC CVT transmission.
For the Hi-Cross, it was adopted the HEV drivetrain, which was based on the technology modified by four-wheel drive models rather than the previous front-wheel drive wheels. And the innovation of the new system, whose approach was affording and packing adopts 'one-motor, two clutch' technology, was attribute to the Nissan's new generation XTRONIC continuously variable CVT transmission, which would achieve a 10 percent improvement in fuel emission comparing with the previous generation's CVT transmissions.[8][9]
The new generation XTRONIC CVT transmission would be a low-friction and smaller shaft-diameter pulleys designed, which would provide the widest ratio coverage for shifting more smoothly to enhance the efficiency.[6] The new advanced XTRONIC CVT transmission would be smoother and could be better coordinated with the advanced 2.0 hybrid engine and the new all wheels system, which made the Hi-cross to be an economy vehicle with higher level technology and excellent performance.[10]
