Paris show: Nissan's fusion illusion

NISSAN has pulled the wraps off its Fusion concept car, which points to the styling direction of the marque's future sedans.

The radical concept will be one of Nissan's drawcards at the Paris motor show, along with the X-Trail compact off-roader.

Fusion incorporates a host of technical innovations including touch-sensitive door handles and tiny TV cameras in lieu of rear-view mirrors.

The car's aluminium and Plexiglass exterior appears to draw its inspiration from Audi's A6, universally acclaimed for its elegant lines.

The interior is trimmed in Connolly leather, while the driver is faced by a "floating pod" housing analogue VDO instruments.

Surrounds for the high-tech interior hardware - such as the DVD-based in-car entertainment and navigation systems - also use aluminium and Plexiglass.

The lower parts of the seats and the door trims use a new reflective synthetic material, while the floor is covered by an iridescent synthetic called "Techno-Tatami".

Philips conceived a coloured fibre optic system for the car which allows occupants to match their environment with their mood. The fibre optics are housed inside a central panel in the predominantly-glass roof.

Nissan says it briefed its designers to integrate western taste and Japanese tradition in a futuristic car with ample interior space.

"Imagine a car," says Stéphane Schwarz, studio chief designer at Nissan Design Europe, where the Fusion was styled," a familiar, practical car, but imagine it covered in snow.

"Think about how the snow softens the lines of the car and distorts its shape, no matter how familiar that shape might be. That is what we are trying to achieve with Fusion.

"A four-door saloon car is probably the most familiar shape of all," he said.

"Fusion is Nissan's challenge to that orthodoxy. It says we have the confidence to reformulate even the most established of forms."