The purely electric vehicle (EV) is touted as a "luxury small car" which points towards Nissan's new design language or its Intelligent Mobility which is the brand’s vision for changing how vehicles are powered, driven and connected to society.
At 3,434mm-long, 1,512mm-wide and 1,644mm tall, this EV of a compact city car will provide drivers with nimble handling characteristics and connectivity.
It is also equipped with the latest ProPILOT advanced driver assistance technologies and seamless connectivity features.
Externally, the IMk is all about Timeless Japanese Futurism where the exterior is characterized by flowing lines with carefully applied Japanese motifs and dipped in an Akagane paint scheme – reflecting a reddish copper colour.
A close look reveals additional elements of “Japanese DNA” throughout the IMk with its V-motion signature “shield” and combination taillights with a trellised, woodwork-type impression.
Inside, the cabin is called "a new type of room” - much like a cafe or lounge with a bench-style seat complete with a dimpled texture, while the dashboard and sections of the doors are upholstered in light tonal materials to "cozy-up" the atmosphere.
Akagane-coloured accents are found along the instrument panel, doors and steering wheel which adds brightness to the interior.
Wooden slats are used to interlock the lower door section just like the Japanese wood joinery technique of "kigumi" as dark coffee-coloured floor carpeting with woven strands of metallic fiber lay the floor.
Other than the start button and shifter, the IMk’s thin dashboard is void of physical controls.
Powering up the IMk reveals cabin comfort controls and settings with soft glowing icons within the Akagane trim.
Important driving information, such as vehicle speed and navigation directions, appear in “midair” by way of a bezel-less prism display.
Customized information is communicated to the driver via holographic displays and an interior accent lighting mimics the prism display’s colour scheme (depending on the displayed content).
When using the touch-sensitive surface, swiping actions can be utilised when viewing a map – a touch of whimsy is displayed in the form of
a flock of birds flying across it and if more attention is spared, one might even notice a faint bird pattern across the prism.
In terms of technology, the IMk comes with the latest of driver-assist technologies.
This includes a smartphone-enabled ProPILOT Remote Park feature with valet parking feature which can search for a parking space automatically after alighting from the vehicle. Once ready to head out, a simple tap of a button brings the car to you.
Also included is the more advanced ProPILOT 2.0, which helps make driving safer, more pleasant and enjoyable for drivers by combining navigated highway driving with hands-off single-lane driving capabilities.
Just as popular cafes and lounges offer free Wi-Fi to keep customers connected, the IMk can keep its occupants constantly and seamlessly plugged in with the latest connectivity technology.
A driver can link to the car with a smartphone to authenticate their identity, automatically apply personal settings – such as seat position, interior lighting and climate controls – and plan their commute.
Before leaving on a trip, the IMk informs the driver of the best departure time via smartphone, taking into consideration variables such as traffic congestion.
After arriving and valet parking itself, the vehicle can seamlessly integrate with a home energy system and use spare battery capacity to balance home energy needs, using Nissan Energy Share (Vehicle-to-Home).
While on the trip, occupants can enjoy Nissan’s Invisible-to-Visible (I2V) technology by merging information from sensors outside and inside the vehicle with data from the cloud.
I2V technology can track the vehicle's immediate surroundings and anticipate what's ahead, even showing what's behind a building or around the corner.
Guidance is given in an interactive, human-like way, including via an avatar that appears inside the car.
