 - Bevel Concept Car
  
Nissan recently
showed ( at the Detroit Motor Show ) their ‘Bevel’ concept vehicle. Attempts to categorise the Nissan Bevel include ‘a combination minivan and SUV.’ The
Bevel has a unique interior, made up of three zones: one for comfort (including the driver’s seat), one for
information / technology, and one for utility purposes.
Looking at the Bevel Concept reminds me of several things from my
childhood:
1. the Bevel looks like some of the Hot Wheels Model Cars I owned.
2. the Bevel has a few similarities to the Holden Sandman ( an Australian Panel Van ),
especially a version called 'the Denim Machine' which was a competition prize offered by my local radio
station in the late 1970's.
3. the Bevel also bears at least a passing resemblance to a Bedford Panel Van a friend of the
family owned (sporting a similar metallic brown paint and stylish wheels, but with the added attractions
of shag pile carpet, bean bags and a built-in mini-bar).
It's remarkable that a concept car like the Bevel can evoke so many memories of the past and perhaps
where the Bevel Concept strikes a nice balance between future and past will broaden its appeal and result in
us seeing more of its design and features incorporated into successful
production models.
Some of the
Bevel Concept features include the solar panel roof and drive-by-wire steering, brakes and throttle.
The Bevel’s powerplant is a 2.5 litre V6 hybrid-electric
engine. As with so many concept cars, the question comes up:
would Nissan build the Bevel Concept vehicle for the market? As
usual, it’s unlikely that we’ll see the Bevel as is, but we may see elements of the Bevel design and
engineering in future Nissan models.
Some automotive
manufacturers seem to be more adventurous with their design brief and Nissan consistently appears to put
itself firmly into that category. Nissan also seems to use
concept cars as specific vehicles for testing and refining design, features and gauging public
response. The Nissan Murano is one example of the bridge Nissan
has built between concept and production. The interesting thing for me with the Nissan Bevel is that many
industry commentators say that it's bold and dramatically innovative, yet I see at least three links to the
1970's in it. Forget the DeLorean - it's back to the future with the Nissan Bevel Concept
Car!
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