Nissan Friend-ME Concept

Unveiled at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show, the Nissan Friend-ME Concept four-seater sedan explores the needs of young Chinese customers with a bold, sculpted exterior and a high-tech cabin.

Aimed at exploring the needs of young Chinese customers, the Nissan Friend-ME is he result of a collaboration between design teams from Nissan Design China (NDC) – the Beijing studio established in 2011 – and Nissan Global Design Center (NGDC) under the leadership and direction of Shiro Nakamura, Nissan’s Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer.

The specific target market of the study is the “Bālínghòu”, a term that indicates the around 240 million Chinese born in the 1980s.

The exterior is characterized by a low and wide stance with short front and rear overhangs, combined with a boldly muscular surface treatment defined by flowing lines and aggressive shapes.

“The design’s energy flows from the ‘V-motion’ shaped grille and streams through the hood and shoulder lines while the headlamps and rear combination lamps are accentuated by its unique boomerang-shaped lighting signature.”

“We call our solution Distilled Da Qi,” said Taiji Toyota, Vice President of Nissan Design China.

“Da Qi is about casting an aura, about standing out, but at the same time going with the flow, fitting in. It’s a question of balance, and we’ve worked to refine it right down to the essence. The result adds an entirely new and youthful dimension to the sedan category.”

“The profile of the vehicle describes the progressive translation of ‘Distilled Da Qi’. The thin and light floating roof and kick-up shape around the C-pillar resonates well and produces sophisticated harmony.”

“Likewise, the Neon Grey exterior color – specially developed to appeal to tech-savvy youthful tastes – shows its lines to full effect at night.”

The high-tech interior features four individual seats and a large center console stretching from the dash to between the rear seats and finished in onyx-black.