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Nissan Gripz concept to preview upcoming Z car, Autocar

Nissan Gripz concept to preview upcoming Z car

Nissan has released fresh preview photos of its Gripz concept car, which will be unveiled at the Frankfurt motor demonstrate later this month.

The fresh crossover will bring back the famous Z badge – and the fresh model is poised to hit showrooms within the next eighteen months. The teaser pics showcase that the concept car has a black bonnet like the classic Datsun 240Z rally car that won the East African Safari Rally in 1971. Fresh pictures of the car’s interior also demonstrate a central speedometer.

The Japanese brand has been weighing up a multitude of options on where to take the famous Z brand as the current 370Z is phased out by 2017. It has considered a higher-powered sports car and a cheaper, more basic four-cylinder model – as previewed by the iDx compact coupé concepts that were exposed at the Tokyo motor demonstrate in 2013.

However, sources indicate that Nissan has lodged on a more radical solution: making the next Z car a puny sports crossover.

An SUV-influenced Z car is likely to infuriate purists, but Nissan believes it can still sate a large number of Z fans while also tapping into a large fresh customer base, particularly in the US, where the badge has equity and the crossover market far outweighs the sector for puny sports cars.

Senior Nissan officials have recently hinted at a rethink on the Z strategy. Earlier this summer, the firm’s chief creative officer, Shiro Nakamura, told Australian media: “I don’t think the next one [Z car] is going to be the 390Z. It’s not growing because it’s already big enough. You know, three hundred fifty embarked with 240, 300, three hundred fifty and then came 370. I don’t think we should go higher.

“We haven’t yet determined anything about whether next-generation Z should be anything larger or with more power,” he said.

In a clear reference to a switch of vehicle type, Nakamura added: “We need to take another path. I feel Z needs more revolution than evolution. I think GT-R has to stay the most high-performance symbol of Nissan technology and Z is a more affordable sports car or a sporty car to get the junior people.”

Nissan executive vice-president Trevor Mann has supported Nakamura’s view. He told Autocar: “We do know that Z, as a sub-brand if you like, has high equity. The market is not like it used to be, however, so I think that if you do something, you’ll need to do something which is fairly special, to attract the segment.”

When asked to comment directly on Nakamura’s statement, Mann said: “If that’s what Nakamura said, then I guess he might be right, in terms of re-establishing the links to something people can connect to.”

That’s likely to be a reference to price. It’s thought the fresh Z crossover will be notably cheaper than a £30k 370Z and its range-toppers could overlap with the lower-end editions of the Qashqai.

The fresh Z will be similar in size to the Nissan Juke albeit, unlike the current version of that car, the fresh model will be based on the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s latest CMF B platform. Its engine line-up will be able to include the utter range of 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engines.

It’s unclear if the fresh model will be a coupé-esque three-door or if Nissan will include a pair of rear doors with hidden treats. It’s likely that the roofline will compromise rear cabin space for adults, tho’, making the Z crossover a car with occasional rear seats at best. The more extreme concept, which will be designed to gauge reaction after the Frankfurt showcase, may even be a two-seater only.

The fresh platform has the plasticity to accommodate hybrid powertrains, so it’s possible the concept at least will showcase a set-up featuring an electrical motor to drive one of the axles.

Nissan is likely to argue that the GT-R has managed to mix strong spectacle credentials with a rear-biased four-wheel drive system and that a hybrid crossover can provide some of the same character – while potentially also suggesting zero-emissions running for brief distances.

The Z should permit Nissan to challenge in the lucrative middle ground on petite crossovers, attracting buyers who don’t want as large a car as the Qashqai but who find the Juke too quirky nor not sporty enough.

The demographics of Juke buyers are said to have confounded Nissan product planners. The average age of Juke buyers is in the late 40s, but this is based on truly youthful purchasers and a remarkably large band of elderly customers.

A Z-badged crossover would also be a legitimate choice of vehicle for the Nismo tuning division. Nissan hopes to extend the sub-brand’s influence with cars like the forthcoming Pulsar Nismo, but senior figures insist it will not be applied to models that don’t permit it to supply genuine spectacle credentials.It’s thought the continued strength of Juke sales has permitted Nissan to consider adding a further petite crossover to its line-up.

The Juke is expected to evolve for its next incarnation, which will bring a switch to the same CMF B platform as the fresh Z crossover (and the next Micra) but only mild switches to its exterior styling.

“We think the Juke still looks a indeed fresh car,” Mann said. “Sales are still indeed strong and the customer base resumes to expand for that type of vehicle. I think that’ll be reflected in what comes next for Juke.”

Z cars – the six pack the crossover must go after

240Z (1969) – The original Z was very first shown at the one thousand nine hundred sixty nine Frankfurt display and went on sale the same year. It embarked with a 149bhp Two.4-litre six-cylinder engine in the US. This was upgraded to a Two.6 in one thousand nine hundred seventy four and a Two.8 in 1975, resulting in name switches to 260Z and 280Z.

280ZX (1978) – The second-generation Z car carried over the Two.8-litre engine and five-speed manual gearbox of the very first generation but little else. It added more luxury and was larger. A turbo boosted power and spectacle in 1981, taking the output up to 178bhp.

300ZX (1983) – The second-generation Z car carried over the Two.8-litre engine and five-speed manual gearbox of the very first generation but little else. It added more luxury and was larger. A turbo boosted power and spectacle in 1981, taking the output up to 178bhp.

300ZX (1990) – The engine remained largely the same for the fourth-generation Z car, but it now had 219bhp in naturally aspirated form and 296bhp in turbo guise, bringing a 0-60mph time as low as Five.0sec. This version also introduced the very first Z convertible, in 1993.

350Z (2002) – The Z car was absent for five years after the 300ZX went off sale in 1997. It returned with the 350Z, the very first Z model built after the creation of the Renault-Nissan alliance. It came with a Three.5-litre V6 engine.

370Z (2009) – The coupé version of the 370Z went on sale in early 2009, with the convertible following towards the end of the same year. It came with a Trio.7-litre V6. Power outputs have ranged up to 339bhp for the latest Nismo edition.

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