The Crossover Revolution Continues by Nissan Qazana Concept

By introducing an alternative to the traditional family hatchback theme, the Nissan Qashqai revolutionised one of the most conservative sectors of the market. That success has now inspired Nissan to see how it can reshape the small five-door of the future.

“Qazana is a concept car and was created specifically for the Geneva Motor Show… but it should not be dismissed as a just a design study. It gives a clear direction of how a future small car from Nissan could look.”
Alfonso Albaisa, Vice President, Nissan Design Europe

At a glance

• Crossover concept reinvents small five-door
• Inspired by motorbikes and beach buggies
• Compact design – sporty, yet rugged
• Designed in Europe

Cars have been dull for too long. Mainstream machines might perform perfectly from A to B… but sometimes drivers want to take the non-conformist route…

Fortunately Nissan has the answer. Inspired by a simple desire to have fun behind the wheel, Qazana shows that mind-numbing motoring could be a thing of the past.

Nissan Qazana Concept Image Gallery:


Officially it’s a showcar, a study into how a small car of the future could look. But with the announcement that a small crossover – a baby brother to Qashqai – will be built at the company’s Sunderland factory in the UK, Qazana’s significance should not be underestimated.

“The Qazana concept is an intelligent, all-wheel drive crossover which is masculine, agile, lean, and designed for the tough city streets. Our team at Nissan Design Europe in London realized this image with the motif of a modern day beach buggy and four-seat motor-bike,” Atsushi Maeda, Studio Chief Designer, Nissan Design Europe.

According to Matt Weaver, project lead designer at NDE, Qazana was designed to be sophisticated but fun. “It’s a hugely optimistic car, which is no bad thing in these difficult times. Had it been created in the 1960s, it would have counted camper vans, bikes and buggies as its rivals. Infused with that same spirit, there’s nothing quite like it available today.”

Challenges tradition
In the same way that Nissan re-wrote the rule-book when it introduced Qashqai two years ago, so Qazana is ready to do it again. By approaching the small car market from a totally different direction, Qazana invigorates, stimulates and rejuvenates the traditional town runabout.

Compact dimensions
Compact overall dimensions (4060mm in length,1570mm tall, 1780 wide and a wheelbase of 2530mm) mean Qazana would be ideally suited to the urban environment. Yet its advanced specification and energetic styling suggest an ability that goes far beyond the city walls.

By mixing SUV and sports car styling cues, NDE’s design team has created a highly individual Crossover quite unlike anything else on the road. The tall stance, truncated rear styling and short front and rear overhangs underscore its feeling of robustness and strength, but the low roof line, assertive side window graphic and broad shoulders hint at a sporting ability absent in traditional all-wheel drives.

At the same time, rounded elements – notably the wheel arches and bonnet – evoke a friendly ambiance and provide a link with existing Nissan Crossovers. Indeed, Qazana has the signature Crossover design detail in the rising window line at the rear, also found on Murano and Qashqai.

Says Weaver: “Qazana follows in Qashqai’s wheel tracks by challenging convention. Externally Qazana adds a number of existing Nissan design cues – including a variation on ‘boomerang’ rear light theme from 370Z – to a highly distinctive shape that’s unlike anything else in the company’s current design portfolio.”

Crossover styling
The profile is dominated by the prominent wheel arches and by the body’s high waistline, which combine to give an impression of strength and which contrast vividly with the slim side windows. Echoing a style first seen on Mixim, Nissan’s high performance electric coupé concept shown at the 2007 Frankfurt Show, the glasshouse resembles a crash helmet visor.

Although it appears at first glance to be a two-door coupé, Qazana has a further pair of rear-hinged half doors to ease access to the rear compartment. All the doors are electrically operated and for safety reasons the rear pair can only be activated once the fronts have been opened. With no conventional B-pillar, access to the interior couldn’t be easier.

One notable feature of the roof-line is the virtually straight cant rail above the doors which adds further to the strength of the profile. The roof itself has a pair of thin glass inserts running the full length of the roof which allow slithers of natural light into the cabin.

This contrast between sporty performance and all-terrain potential is underlined by the venturi-style skid plate at the rear of the vehicle, Qazana’s extended ground clearance and the soft rubber spats which edge the wheel arches and help to disguise the vehicle’s long suspension travel. The graphite coloured spats contrast vividly with the bold exterior colour, a unique shade called White Titanium, and the strikingly styled 20 inch black chrome alloy wheels.

Distinctive frontal aspect
The car’s face is dominated by four headlamps. Two lower circular lamps set within the bumper contrast with a pair of daylight running strips mounted high on the wings on either side of the bonnet: the look is of a rally car preparing for a night stage.

While the full width grille, dominated by Nissan’s centrally mounted badge, is an interpretation of current Nissan styling, its construction is not. A one-piece acrylic moulding, no cooling air can pass through the grille. Instead, the lower portion of the bumper, finished in a contrasting graphite colour, is dominated by a number of large holes for air to reach the radiator. See through acrylic mouldings are also used for the door mirrors

The interior has been designed as an extension of the exterior thanks to a clever interplay between hard and soft materials. Rather than being completely enveloped in leather for example, elements of the lightweight carbon fibre seat structure are on permanent view, appearing to have ‘broken through’ the covering. The centre portion of the backrests features a mesh material, allowing fresh air to circulate around the occupants.

Like the seats, the metal sections of the centre console seem to have forced their way through the leather covering while the internal door-frame is part exposed so that the door pull appears to be hewn from solid metal.

Motorcycle inspired interior
Adding further to the mechanical feel of the interior, the shape of the centre console and armrest has been inspired by the fuel tank and seat of a sports motocycle. Paul Ray, senior interior designer at NDE, is a keen rider. “I enjoy the sensation of being at one with my bike and wanted to capture that feeling in Qazana,” he says.

“The way the structure appears through the fabric of the interior also reflects motorcycle design and construction.”

Accentuating the practical side of the car, Qazana has ‘floating’ seats centrally mounted over a one-piece rubberised floor covering, creating an openness in the cockpit. Grooves cut in the flooring are replicated on the seats themselves.

The dashboard is dominated by a centrally mounted screen. As well as doubling as a navigation display, it will deliver vital information relating to Nissan’s next generation fully electronic ALL MODE four-wheel drive with torque vectoring system and other advanced technical processes found on board, including integrated communications systems. Using an intuitive touch-screen interface, the driver will be able to adjust the air-conditioning and other key vehicle settings.

Alfonso Albaisa, Vice President, Nissan Design Europe, says: “When it comes to design, Nissan has developed a reputation for constantly delivering something different. The global success of Qashqai has proven that the car buying public is fed up with the conventional… but we are not prepared to sit on our laurels. Qazana might seem a radical solution but important elements of the concept do point to a future Nissan production vehicle.

Source: Nissan News

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Audi R8 TDI Le Mans Concept : Powerful and Elegant

Audi is presenting a revolution in the top class at the Geneva Auto Show 2008 – the first 12-cylinder diesel engine in a high-performance roadgoing sports car. The V12 TDI with a displacement of six liters powers a concept car based on the Audi R8. This unit generates a huge 500 hp and 1,000 Newtonmeters of torque.

Powerful and elegant
The R8 TDI Le Mans bodywork is painted in “brillant red” and looks even wider and more resolute than the core model. It shows its potential through its muscular proportions, accentuated wheel arches and even larger air apertures. The rhombus-pattern cover on the air inlets and outlets is the hallmark of Audi’s sporty top models and a familiar feature of the current RS generation.

Large glass roof
One new aspect is the glass roof of the passenger compartment with two large transparent sections. These, together with the glazed engine compartment behind, create a radically new formal element. The unmistakable NACA duct in the middle of the roof is a functional detail that is normally reserved for racing cars. Its ingenious shape accelerates the air drawn in here for the two cylinder banks of the V12 TDI engine.
Innovative LED technology

The LED taillights of the Audi R8 TDI Le Mans have a three-dimensional look that can’t be missed. But the absolute highlight is the all-LED headlights of the study vehicle. With their lenses and reflectors, not only do these innovative light sources have a ground-breaking appearance, they also have an enormous functional advantage: LED light, with its color temperature of 6,000 Kelvin, resembles daylight much more closely than xenon or even halogen light.

Ergonomic and elegant
The interior’s design is as sporty and exclusive as the exterior: the characteristic element here is the monoposto – an expansive arc running around the steering wheel and instruments, connecting the driver to the car. The interior consequently picks up on the dynamism of the R8 TDI Le Mans and gives it tactile expression in a form that is accessible the moment you climb in.

Efficient Performance
The roadgoing version of the new V12 TDI is built at the Györ plant, in Hungary. And the Audi R8 TDI Le Mans still has a massive 500 hp on tap. The 83.0 mm bore and 91.4 mm stroke produce a total displacement of 5,934 cc. At only 684 mm long, this large diesel engine is very compact and just 166 mm longer than the V8 TDI. This compact length is key to accommodating the V12 in the mid-engined Audi R8.

Innovative injection technology
The two new dual-piston high-pressure pumps build up a pressure of up to 2,000 bar in the rails. The high pressure distributes the mixture optimally throughout the combustion chamber. The result is that the ignition process is faster, more homogeneous and more acoustically refined. The more efficient combustion process also increases power output, cuts consumption and reduces pollutant emissions.

Two turbochargers
The two turbochargers are located on the outside of the engine’s V and generate up to 2.6 bar of boost pressure. They play a crucial role in producing the huge torque of 1,000 Nm that the V12 TDI maintains from 1,750 rpm to 3,000 rpm. In developing 368 kW (500 hp), the diesel achieves a specific output of 62.0 kW (84.3 hp) per liter displacement.
Clean top athlete

The Audi R8 TDI Le Mans already fulfills the Euro 6 emissions standard. The heart of the system is a special catalytic converter downstream of the oxidizing catalyst and the particulate filter. The second component in the system is an additional tank containing an aqueous urea solution. Small quantities of the solution, known as “AdBlue,” are injected into the exhaust system. The hot exhaust gases break the solution down to form ammonia that splits the nitric oxides into nitrogen and water.

Source: Audi News

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Audi Sportback Concept: A New Trend in the Automobile Market

Audi is unveiling the Sportback concept show car at the 2009 North American International Automobile Show. With systematic refinements to the brand’s characteristic design elements, the five-door model offers a glimpse at the Audi’s future design vocabulary. With its pronounced coupé-like silhouette and large rear hatch, the 4.95 m long (16.24 ft), 1.93 m wide (6.33 ft) and only 1.40 m high (4.59 ft) vehicle is boldly progressive for the luxury class.

A new trend in the automobile market
Since its introduction in 2004, the concept of the Sportback has established itself in the compact class. The success of the A3 Sportback has exceeded even the expectations of its makers – far more customers choose the four-door model with the large rear hatch than its three-door sibling.

But it is far more than two additional doors that sets the A3 Sportback apart from the base model. It is characterized by the sporting elegance of a coupe, the versatility of a five-door model, sophisticated technology and pronounced sportiness – driving dynamics in a new guise.

It also offers even more space and variability thanks to a tail end that is a total of 54 millimeters (2.13 in) longer that of the three-door model.

The launch of the first production Sportback marked the second time that Audi started a new trend in the automobile market. The development of the first Avant models in the seventies laid the foundation for a new class of automobiles far beyond the matter-of-fact utility of the classic station wagon. The marked accentuation of a futuristic and dynamic design, high-quality equipment and extreme variability have been the distinguishing features of every Audi Avant from the very beginning.

The Audi Sportback concept show car is now rolling up to the starting line with a dual mission: As suggested by the name, it symbolizes the Sportback principle in its purest form in the combination of elegance, sportiness and variability.

And the show car also signals the company’s determination not to limit Sportback versions to the compact segment. As previously indicated by the Audi A1 Sportback concept – the star of the 2008 Paris Motor Show – the brand with the four rings is going to dramatically expand the number of Sportback models on the market.

Design: Monolithic clarity

The design of the Audi Sportback concept is characterized by an almost monolithic clarity and a vast reduction of the number of lines. The roof, shoulder and sill lines appear to have been drawn with a single stroke. The window strip of the coupé with its four frameless doors was kept pronouncedly flat. Viewed from the side, the softly contoured wheel wells over the 10-spoke, 21-inch wheels reinforce the impression of the precisely defined surfaces of the body.

The shoulder area

One feature familiar from the two-door Audi A5 coupé is even more boldly accentuated here: The markedly horizontal shoulder area emphasizes the orientation of the vehicle body to the road. This effect is further reinforced at the front and rear by the broad, flat LED light units. The shape of the almost fragile-looking side mirrors is inspired by the upturned tips – the “winglets” – of modern jet wings.

A new interpretation of the single-frame grille

The show car also offers a new interpretation of the single-frame grille. The decision not to use vertical struts and the low overall height emphasize the sporty basic proportions of the vehicle front. Also particularly striking is the modified outer contour of the single-frame grille as also featured on the A1 Sportback show car. The flattened top edges lower the visual center of gravity and provide a striking look for the front end.

The aerodynamically designed air intakes under the headlights function as air deflectors which guide the required cooling air precisely into an intake duct. They have the stylistic effect of accentuating the impression of width.

The tail of the show car is also evidently related to the A5 coupé. The high top edge of the rear hatch gives rise to a strikingly clear surface below the rear lights.

A sporty nature

The low separating edge and the horizontal lines – another characteristic feature – underscore the width and therefore the sporty nature of the Audi Sportback concept. The four tailpipes integrated into the body and an air deflector in the diffuser insert are cues borrowed from the sportscar sector.

Puristic interior

The interior design is tidy and downright purist yet elegant at the same time. The large glass roof underscores the width and feeling of spaciousness. In the driver-oriented cockpit, the air vents, instrument cluster and retracting MMI monitor are outlined by a filigree aluminum border.

As with the exterior, the interior is characterized by the emphasis on horizontal lines and large surfaces. Especially the wide center console – stretching from the dashboard to the back – seems to be a pure expression of function.

Retractable MMI system

The flat display of the MMI system is realized as a retractable system in the show car. When the ignition is activated, it extends horizontally from a slot above the central air register before moving in an elegant arc into a vertical, easy-to-read position.

The high quality of the materials and manufacturing-level fit and finish are obvious when looking around the interior of the Audi Sportback concept and when touching the surfaces. The interior trim is almost completely in leather: from the headlining, dashboard, doors and the entire seat upholstery all the way through to the trunk, with the leather stitching underscoring the vehicle’s design language. The large wood trim strips on the instrument panel, center console and doors are machined from oak blockboard and sport a delicate horizontal pattern of light and dark lines.

With its surfaces of piano lacquer and brushed aluminum, the MMI control unit also adds to the exceptional exclusivity of the interior. The attention to detail even extends to the door opener: Its shape is a nearly perfect reflection of the distinctive lines of the small rear side window – giving the interior and exterior formal unity.

A premium-class touring car

Four sporty seats await the driver and passengers. The diamond-shaped stitching of the leather surface is reminiscent of a classic GT tradition. Shoulder, head and leg room are reminiscent of a premium-class touring car. With a volume of 500 liters (17.66 cubic feet), the trunk is generously sized and is also appointed with high-quality materials.

Drivetrain: Significantly reduced emissions

The developers at Audi chose the world’s cleanest diesel technology as the unit best befitting the Audi Sportback concept show car. The six-cylinder 3.0 TDI clean diesel is equipped with a system for the effective reduction of nitrogen oxides. The diesel engine development engineers at Audi have combined an entire package of innovative measures for this latest TDI generation: The piezo common rail system with an injection pressure of 2,000 bar, highly efficient exhaust gas recirculation and optimized turbocharging result in significantly reduced raw engine emissions. One of the highlights are the combustion chamber sensors that enable even more precise regulation of the combustion processes in the engine – this is the first time that such sensors have been installed on any engine in the world, marking yet another Audi innovation.

Comprehensive emission control system

The status of the new-generation TDI as the definitive clean-running, high-tech diesel is sealed by the downstream exhaust emission control system, which reduces emissions by up to 90 percent. The system uses AdBlue, a biologically degradable, waterborne additive that is injected in small amounts upstream of the DeNOx catalytic converter. In addition to the catalytic converter, the exhaust emission control system comprises the metering module, the AdBlue tank and heated lines, as well as an extensive system of sensors. The additional oxidizing catalytic converter and the highly efficient, regulated diesel particulate filter round off the comprehensive emission control system.

Thanks to their extremely low emission levels, these modern direct-injection diesel engines can be put into service anywhere in the world, even in the U.S. state of California, which has the world’s most stringent emissions limits. Compared with the fleet average of the gasoline engines typically found in the U.S., the TDI boasts a fuel-efficiency advantage of up to 40 percent. The diesel technology thus makes a greater contribution than any other type of engine to reducing the consumption of fossil fuels. Audi will offer this engine in the U.S. and Europe beginning in 2009.

Powerful TDI

As in the U.S. version of the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI, the V6 also produces 165 kW (225 hp) and 550 Nm (405.66 lb-ft) of torque in the Audi Sportback concept. Power is transferred to the wheels via Audi’s most modern transmission: the new 7-speed tiptronic. The quattro permanent all-wheel-drive system ensures that the torque generated by the powerful TDI is also converted effectively into propulsion and dynamism under any conditions.

Weighing just 1,800 kilograms (3,968.32 lb) and with a drag coefficient of 0.30, the coupe will accelerate from 0 – 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in less than seven seconds and reach a top speed of 245 km/h (152.24 mph).

Extensive efficiency-optimizing measures

The Audi Sportback concept’s average fuel economy according to the European ECE standard is only 5.9 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers (39.87 US mpg), and its CO2 emissions no more than 156 g/km (251.06 g/mile). These sensationally low figures for a large model have been achieved by extensive efficiency-optimizing measures.

For example, this model’s electromechanical power steering only consumes energy when the steering is turned, not when driving in a straight line.

The TDI engine features an innovative temperature management system. When the engine is warming up, part of the coolant flow is diverted – another way to improve efficiency, since it helps the engine to warm up quicker. This means significant practical savings, because many journeys are fairly short. The fuel pump also runs only when there is a demand for fuel, and therefore uses less energy.

The 7-speed S tronic transmission is a very efficient unit with a wide spread of gear ratios. For the first time, it has been equipped with transmission oil heating, so that it reaches its intended operating temperature much earlier and therefore has a lower level of internal friction.

When coasting, the Audi Sportback concept – like the Audi A4 and Audi Q5 production models – recuperates energy. This boosts the output of the alternator and is used to charge the battery. This energy, which in effect costs nothing to recover, is fed back into the vehicle’s electrical system when needed. An automatic start-stop system shuts the TDI engine down to save energy, for instance when waiting at a traffic signal.

And when it is on the move, tires optimized for low roll resistance cut fuel consumption significantly without incurring any disadvantages in the performance area.

Driving Dynamics: A dynamic character

The Audi Sportback concept show car took the basic architecture and many components of its suspension from the brand’s latest and most successful model family: the very dynamic A4/A5 model series. The dynamic suspension sets standards here, as well, combining precision and dynamism with high stability and superior poise. The suspension mountings, steering, wheels and brakes have been developed for top performance and numerous aluminum components are used to keep unsprung masses to a minimum.

Optimal distribution of weight

The new five-link front suspension makes a major contribution to the car’s dynamic character. By moving the differential further forward and the clutch further back, the design engineers were able to reposition the front axle 154 millimeters (6.06 inches) further forward. The result is an optimal distribution of weight between the front and rear axles.

The front suspension is made up of five links per wheel – a support link and a control arm at the bottom and two control arms at the top. The fifth link – the track rod – connects the steering box and the pivot bearing. All these links are made of forged aluminum, ensuring low unsprung masses, ultra-precise wheel control and a high level of crash safety. The anti-roll bar fabricated from a high-strength tube saves additional weight. The backbone of the rear axle is a subframe with high flexural and torsional rigidity.

If sporty handling is to be combined with a high standard of ride comfort, the unsprung masses must be kept as low as possible. Audi has pursued this approach for all the rear-axle components. The upper control arms and the track rods are of forged aluminum. Their high rigidity ensures that toe and camber angles change very little when dynamic forces act on the wheels.

Adaptive damping

The CDC (continuous damping control) shock absorbers, similar to those that Audi already uses on the luxury Q7 SUV with air suspension, are twin-tube, gas-filled hydraulic units with an additional external valve and connecting pipe. Their operation can be continuously varied.

An electromagnetically energized, proportional-action valve regulates the flow of hydraulic fluid between the inner and outer damper tubes. A smaller flow cross-section makes the damping characteristic firmer, a larger one makes it softer.

The control unit applies adaptive operating characteristics within the mode the driver has chosen via Audi drive select. It adapts to match the driver’s driving style and the road conditions. Even from the comfort mode, the shock absorbers can be switched in an instant to a firm setting if desired, though not to the absolute limit. They are fitted in conjunction with sports suspension springs, which still provide a good level of ride comfort, even off-road.

The control unit selects the optimum damping force for the current driving situation, for instance firmer damping to prevent body roll and pitch when cornering fast or braking, or lower damping force where the surface under the wheels is hard and uneven.

Electromechanical steering

The show car marks the first time that Audi has used electromechanical steering in a car with a longitudinal engine. Its primary advantage is that, unlike conventional power steering systems, it only consumes energy when actually steering. On average, this means a fuel saving of 0.2 liters per 100 kilometers, depending on driving conditions.

The electromechanical steering of the Audi Sportback concept also enables the coupling with the parking steering assistant for fully automatic steering when parallel parking.

Ceramic brakes

The Audi Sportback concept is equipped with ceramic brakes on all four wheels for effective deceleration even under the most demanding conditions. Compared with conventional steel disks, ceramic brakes not only last four times longer, up to 300,000 kilometers (186,411 miles), but also offer high resistance to fading. The significant reduction in weight also leads to advantages in terms of comfort and handling, thanks to reduced unsprung masses.

On the front axle, 380-millimeter (14.96-inch) ceramic disks are fitted in combination with 21-inch wheels. The rear disks have a diameter of 356 millimeters (14.02 inches). The elaborate cooling duct geometry of the ventilated brake disks ensures optimal cooling of the brake disks. Firm grip on the brake disk is guaranteed at the front by 6-piston monobloc aluminum brake calipers, and at the rear by floating-caliper brakes.

Source: Audi News

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