Nissan has announced plans to build a fifth model at its award
winning plant in Sunderland in the UK. Unveiled at the Paris motor
show, the show car called Tone hints at the future model which goes
on sale in early 2006.
A roomy five seater, Tone is aimed at parents who need a practical
car in which to carry the family but who are not prepared to trade
space for driving pleasure. Tone has been designed to combine the
two, providing clever use of interior space with a fun to drive
attitude.
As a vehicle which will have a busy life, reflecting the life of
its drivers, it features the Intelligent Key which can be found on
the Micra - the only car in its class to have it. Intelligent Key
enables the doors to be locked or unlocked without trying to find
the key. Using proximity sensors, it will unlock the doors at the
touch of a button on the door handle, saving the driver the
inconvenience of searching for the key when their hands are
full.
And the ignition works in a similar way. If the key is detected,
the car will start without having to put the key in the ignition
lock.
Tone takes styling influences from the avant-garde Micra and mixes
them with design cues from other Nissan concept and show cars. The
result is as individual as the Micra yet Tone is demonstrably a
member of the Nissan family.
The arched roof line, at its highest point above the B-pillar, has
become a feature of Nissan road cars since the Fusion concept car
became Primera. The pronounced waistline is fashionably high while
the front and rear bumpers are fully integrated into the
design.
Other influences, however, come from the more recent Qashqai urban
crossover concept that drew the crowds at the 2004 Geneva Show.
Like Qashqai, Tone has highly distinctive boomerang LED rear lights
that frame the tailgate and roof, while Tone’s prominent triangular
rear side windows are scaled up versions of those found on
Qashqai.
At the front, the grille adopts an aggressive double-deck four-slot
design similar to the grille on Murano, while the dominant
headlights house powerful projector beams. With very short
overhangs front and rear, the profile is dominated by bold 17 inch
alloy wheels.
At just a little more than 4m in length, but sitting on a wheelbase
of 2600mm – just 25mm shorter than the much larger X-TRAIL - Tone’s
overall dimensions allow it to cross boundaries.
By keeping Tone’s overall height to 1542mm, the design team has
ensured the proportions help to keep the centre of gravity low,
without compromising the car’s practicality. And a low centre of
gravity is key to the Tone’s ‘fun to drive’ philosophy.
According to project chief designer Taiji Toyota, Tone is: "…tall,
but not so tall. We wanted a roomy interior and the benefits of a
high driving position but we did not want to make the car look top
heavy. With the long wheelbase and body we feel we have achieved a
shape that will appeal on both a practical and emotional
level."
Tone has been given a deliberately ‘masculine’ feel with extensive
use of brushed aluminium for interior fittings and a sophisticated
dark grey exterior body colour. Inside, a hint of purple shows
through the perforated ‘metallic’ black and silver leather
upholstery while light grey headlining contrasts with the
predominantly black trim.
Dramatically shaped sports seats are designed to keep the driver
and front seat passenger firmly in place during cornering,
enhancing the sporting concept and fun to drive philosophy which is
at the heart of Tone.
Twin glass strips run the length of the roof - another feature seen
on many recent Nissan show cars - and bathe the interior with
natural light.
Accentuating its 'driver appeal', Tone has a dramatic and
futuristic dashboard. Two deep set dials can be found behind the
sporting three spoke steering wheel, but the centre of the
dashboard is dominated by a brushed aluminium display panel housing
a satellite navigation screen and controls for the climate control
system.
Although designed as a car for the enthusiast, Tone’s designers
have not forgotten the practical needs of a parent. The glove box
features a neat slot that doubles as a tissue dispenser - ideal for
keeping sticky fingers off the upholstery - while the brushed
aluminium centre console-cum-armrest houses a deep storage area
beneath its lid.
The backrest folds in an uncomplicated fashion to create a roomy
and flat load area. Extra storage space can be found beneath the
boot floor, which lifts to reveal a deep well, with a storage
capacity of 90 litres, where valuables can be stowed out of
sight.
Taiji Toyota, whose previous designs include X-TRAIL, Murano and
the Chappo concept which led directly to the innovative Nissan
Cube, says: "Tone is a dynamic, sophisticated car with strong
emotional appeal that also answers a parent’s practical
needs."
from:
http://www.carpages.co.uk/nissan/nissan_tone_part_1_01_10_04.asp
Based on the Renault Scenic platform, and it will be called NIssan
Note locally. Nice March Style Mini MPV Design... Nice Dash
too!