Nissan Sway concept unveiled – previews new design language

Nissan has officially unveiled its futuristic Sway Concept. The Sway provides a glimpse into Nissan’s future generation of compact models and the brand’s new design language.

According to Nissan, the Sway’s edgy and swoopy design have been styled especially to appeal to European tastes and shake up the compact hatchback segment, which the brand says, has been traditionally conservative.

The car sports Nissan’s latest V-motion corporate grille flanked by a pair of streamline boomerang headlights. Its LED daytime running lights are said to give the impression of a pair of eyes, watching. There is a hint of Hyundai i30 in the Sway’s profile, with a strong shoulder line that meets the C-shaped taillights.

As befitting its concept car status, the Sway has no central B-pillars. The rear doors and rear-hinged to ease ingress and egress. Another feature of Nissan’s new design language is the floating roof, which is comprised of a panoramic glass roof framed by an extended C-shaped construction running from the A-pillars along the side the roof to the rear cross link above the tailgate.

Inside, Nissan says it has applied techniques more usually seen in industrial architecture such as structural aluminium elements to signify both simplicity and strength, attention to detail and the use of colour and materials associated with premium goods.

“We believe that the Sway continues our tradition of challenging the status quo in market segments by bringing something fresh, distinctive and striking, much as we did with Qashqai and Juke.

“With this new concept car for Geneva, we are experimenting to see how Nissan might be able to bring fresh ideas to the compact hatchback segment,” said Shiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President, Design and Chief Creative Officer, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Paul Willcox, Chairman Nissan Europe, said: “Nissan is on the move. The brand stands for bold, innovative thinking in the European automotive market – indeed around the globe – and our growth in Europe is led by outstanding new products, which are defined by outstanding design. The Sway underlines how important design is for Nissan in building our brand and driving our growth.”