Chinese-designed Nissan Lannia Concept debuts in Beijing

Mon, 21 Apr 2014

Nissan showed off a stylish new concept car to the assembled crowds of media at the Beijing Motor Show. The Lannia Concept is... well, it's not that easy to describe. It's kind of a sedan, only it looks a bit like a fastback from the rear. But for a twist, it has an ever-so-small rear deck. Regardless of how we'd classify it, it's a seriously sharp piece of styling, thanks to its unique shape and flowing character lines.

If the Lannia's styling appears familiar, it's because we've sort of seen it before. There's more than a little bit of inspiration from the Friend-Me Concept. The Lannia's overall shape is similar to the Friend-Me, while both the front and rear clips look decidedly more production ready. Considering this evolution, we shouldn't rule out a production Lannia in the next few years. And if Nissan's product boss, Andy Palmer is any indication, the new model might not be limited to China.

"It was designed by Chinese, built by Chinese for the Chinese people, and ultimately, for the world," Palmer said in a statement. If Nissan can keep this sharp styling, this could prove a compelling buy in a number of markets.

Nissan doesn't provide a great deal of additional information on this new concept. Rather than tell us about its engine, transmission or interior, the Japanese manufacturer simply said the Lannia is a "sedan theory-breaker," whatever that means. It's targeted, meanwhile, at Chinese "post-80s" trendsetters, which we take to mean either very hip nonagenarians or trendy people born after the 1980s (it's probably the latter).

Take a look above for our gallery of live images from Beijing, and then scroll down for the full round of assets from Nissan on the all-new Lannia Concept.

NISSAN THRILLS AUTO CHINA 2014 WITH WORLD PREMIERE OF LANNIA CONCEPT, NISMO INTRODUCTION

World premiere of Lannia Concept, tailored towards the "Post 80s" Chinese desiring an "Energetic Sedan For Me"
NISMO to debut in China with GT-R Nismo and 370Z Nismo versions
BEIJING, China (April 20, 2014) - Nissan today premiered the Lannia Concept, a global concept addressing the lifestyle of China's rising "Post-80s" generation. Chief Planning Officer Andy Palmer also announced the official launch of the NISMO brand in China.

"Lannia Concept joins our growing family of China-focused models," said Palmer. "It was designed by Chinese, built by Chinese for the Chinese people, and ultimately, for the world." He recognized the heavy involvement of the local Chinese teams spanning from market research to design that led to the birth of the Lannia Concept. Its Chinese name, "?????" ("lan niao, yin xiang") was also announced in honor of the legendary Nissan Bluebird, whose spirit is reborn.

Positioned as a "sedan theory-breaker," Lannia Concept is the result of strong collaboration between Nissan Design China in Beijing and the Nissan Global Design Center, and features an energetic, sleek and agile design that addresses the tastes and values of contemporary Chinese "Post-80s" trendsetters.

Palmer also revealed that NISMO, Nissan's global motorsports and performance brand, will make its official debut in China with the launch of GT-R Nismo and 370Z Nismo versions.

Palmer said, "We are very excited about the arrival of NISMO in China. Running one of the world's premiere motorsports organizations, NISMO embodies Nissan's motorsports heritage of passionately pursuing victory through continuous improvements in engineering. It goes without saying that to achieve such results, NISMO has been, and will continue to be, at the forefront of innovation, technology, safety and quality, which transcends across all Nissan products. Entering the Chinese market is an important milestone for NISMO as it continues its aggressive journey to expand its presence beyond the racetrack to key markets around the world."

Auto China 2014 also plays host to a series of technologies all developed under the Safety Shield approach. These include Nissan's Smart Rear View Mirror (SRVM) technology, set for global introduction in 2015, and Autonomous Driving technology, announced to be commercialized by 2020. Such innovations are part of Nissan's Zero Fatality vision; to realize an automotive society which is safe for all drivers, passengers and non-motorists on the road.

Nissan brings an exciting line-up of over 20 vehicles to Auto China 2014, ranging from the unique BladeGlider Concept, with its central seat driving position, to the all-new X-Trail – all which can be seen at Hall W2, China International Exhibition Center from 21 to 29 April.

By Brandon Turkus