Nissan Hi-Cross Concept at the 2012 Geneva International Motor Show
- Looks like: Nissan is going mean and lean for its next compact crossover
- Defining characteristics: Third-row seating, compact design, new hybrid technology
- Ridiculous features: 3-D displays, but they’re low-hanging fruit for the chopping block
- Chances of being mass-produced: We’re probably looking at the next Nissan Rogue
The current Nissan Rouge is getting long in the tooth. Although it received a mild refresh for the 2011 model year, the model sold today is nearly the same as the one on sale in 2007. Nissan's recently unveiled Hi-Cross Concept gives us a taste of what to expect from the Japanese carmaker's next-generation compact crossover.
The Hi-Cross Concept is a seven-passenger compact crossover, featuring Nissan's first in-house-engineered front-wheel-drive hybrid system. The concept features two four-cylinder engines: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder (powering the current Rouge) and a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine coupled to a hybrid system. The hybrid system features lithium-ion batteries developed from Nissan's Leaf technology, according to the automaker. It also uses a new generation of the continuously variable automatic transmission that Nissan says will improve fuel economy by about 10% over its current CVT.
With Ford exiting the compact CUV hybrid territory and with only a few models offering third-row options, Nissan hints that it will potentially offer both features in its next-generation compact crossover. These features should help elevate Rogue from its current state of affordable, yet boring, compact crossover.
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"and a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine coupled to a hybrid system"
sounds enticing - any ideas of performance and gas mileage?
sounds like it could be everything the Prius V isn't
very gooooodddd best carrrrr
Looks like I think it very smoothly, so smoothly that even repellent.