Nissan will show the Hi-Cross concept in Geneva, the design exercise likely setting the stage for the next-gen Nissan X-Trail CUV.
It’s going to be a busy couple years for Nissan, which plans to be rolling out at least one new models every six weeks or so for the foreseeable future. So expect to be seeing plenty of new products lining up on the 2012 auto show circuit. We already got a look at the new Nissan Pathfinder and, as TheDetroitBureau.com reported earlier today, we’ll see the striking Infiniti Emerg-E plug-in supercar concept charge into the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.
With the sort of schedule Nissan’s product team has going, however, it’s no surprise there’ll be yet another new model debuting at the PALExpo Convention Center next week. Officially, Nissan is calling the Hi-Cross a concept vehicle, but the slick little crossover is all but certainly going to re-emerge as the replacement for the Nissan X-Trail.
Sadly, we’re not getting many details about the Nissan Hi-Cross concept other than this image and an equally fuzzy teaser video but one can readily spot some familiar cues that blend a bit of the new Pathfinder with the maker’s even more edgy Murano and Juke models, notably the tapered headlamps and grille, curvaceous side profiles and exaggerated fenders.
The X-Trail has been one of Nissan’s more popular models but while it’s available in both Canada and Mexico it never made it State-side. Could a U.S. version be in the works? Apparently, we’ll have to wait and see but considering the flood of small crossover/utes that have begun flooding our shores – and the success of the even smaller Nissan Juke – it would surprise few if Nissan added the U.S. to the list.
The new X-Trail is expected to shift directions a bit and be marketed more as a high-mileage crossover than the rough-and-tumble ute of the previous generation. But the Nissan Hi-Cross concept suggests it will continue to be based on the Nissan Global C-Platform that is the foundation of much of the maker’s small vehicle line-up.
Power is expected to come from a small inline-four gas engine with an optional 2.0-liter diesel, according to Britain’s Autocar, targeted at Europe. Look for both front- and rear-wheel-drive options.
The next-gen Nissan X-Trail is expected to reach European showrooms by next autumn.