NAIAS 2019: Nissan Debuts IMs EV Sport-Sedan Concept

The newest of Nissan’s advanced EV concepts makes its global debut in Detroit.

(Nissan)

Nissan looks to pump up the fun factor with the IMs, an all-electric sports sedan concept with autonomous driving capability. The car made its global debut at the 2019 North American International Auto Show. “While still being a driver’s car, this concept lives within our very graspable future of creating/engineering a thrilling autonomous ride, bringing the car into the realm of ‘entertainment’, Giovanny Arroba, Nissan’s program design director, told Automotive Engineering.

A front and rear view of Nissan’s electric IMs concept. The car has a 190-in/4845 mm length; 59-in/1500 mm height; and 74-in/1900 mm width. (Nissan)
The Nissan IMs concept features a super-thin instrument panel, retractable steering wheel, and integrated and adaptive information display with a two-layer floating screen. (Nissan)
The Nissan IMs sedan’s roof is highlighted by gold accents that were designed to suggest the ring of moonlight during an eclipse. (Nissan)
Reverse-opening rear doors on the Nissan IMs concept reveal a premium lounge cabin with a Zero Gravity driver’s command seat and rear center seating position with ottoman. (Nissan)

IMs features dual electric motors in the front and the rear with an estimated 483 horsepower (360 kW) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque for all wheel drive capability. The 115 kWh battery pack, packaged under the floor, provides an estimated 380-mi (611.5-km) driving range. The sedan’s dedicated EV platform essentially mirrors that of Nissan’s IMx KURO electric crossover concept that debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2017.

As a new member of Nissan’s advanced electric vehicle concepts, the IMs is showpiece of future possibilities. The IMs doesn’t have a traditional front grille, nor does it have B-pillars. IMs’ aerodynamic design cues include flush exterior lighting, streamlined side glass, unseen door handles, hidden windshield wipers, an integrated rear spoiler, and wing cameras that become body-flush when the vehicle is in autonomous driving mode. Light blades, which run just below the hood on the front end, and along the upper portion of the rear end, glow blue when the vehicle is in autonomous mode.

The IMs has a 114-in/2900 mm wheelbase, and rides on custom Michelin 255/40R22 performance tires fitted to 22-in x 10-in aluminum alloy wheels. The car’s air suspension adapts to the roadway and the driving mode.

Inside the cabin, the IMs provides functionality for either hands-on or autonomous driving. The driver-centric cockpit conveys vital vehicle information on a ‘floating’ clear screen with dual layers. “This was really inspired by a jet fighter’s information displays, so you always have a commanding view of information and the road,” Arroba said.

The three-across rear seat converts to an oversized center seat when the outboard seat positions are folded. “This car captures the benefits of a crossover, but also retains the beauty of the sedan,” Arroba said.