New Nissan IMQ Small SUV Skips Electric for Hybrid Power

After revealing a planned all-electric SUV last year in Tokyo and an electric sedan in Detroit this year, Nissan’s debut at the Geneva auto show was a surprise: the IMQ. It will use what Nissan calls a “further development” of its e-Power series-hybrid system, with four motors to give individual power control to each wheel for maximum grip in slippery situations.

22-inch Bridgestone Connect tires provide precise data on grip both to the driver and to the car’s traction control system.

Together, the motors develop 335 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, and a turbocharged 1.5-liter I-4 serves as a generator to power all the motors.

The IMQ will also offer Nissan’s next version of Pro-Pilot Assist, which the company says will offer enhanced autonomous driving capability. To support that, Nissan’s new Invisible-to-Visible augmented reality system will show up in a 33-inch touch-screen that rises from the dashboard.

Despite the concept’s non-plug-in, hybrid powertrain, Nissan spokesman Daniele Schillaci told Automotive News that the IMQ is likely to form the basis of Nissan’s expected small electric SUV.