While closer to a sedan than a crossover, the IMs concept’s revolutionary proportions create a vehicle segment all of its own. It is defined by its pure electric-vehicle identity, with the battery located under the body, elevating cabin height. Its stretched interior space, a result of the vehicle’s extended wheelbase, features unique “2+1+2” seating architecture with pivoting front seats and a rear seat that either offers three-across seating, or, once the slim rear outboard seats are folded, an indulgent “Premier Seat” in the rear center, worthy of world-class executive travel.

“Advances in electric vehicle technology and autonomous driving have allowed our designers to break free of the platform and packaging rules that constrain traditional passenger vehicles, to create a completely new type of car,” said Alfonso Albaisa, senior vice president for design at Nissan. “The IMs explores the limits of sedan design with an approach that elevates the category in both look and functionality.”

The IMs is a study in duality and contrast. In autonomous driving mode, it features completely hands-free operation, whereas in manual driving mode, it delivers the exciting, high-performance driving experience that only an advanced electric vehicle can provide.

The IMs also possesses the highest levels of safety technology and virtual world connectivity – all wrapped in an alluring package that highlights modern Japanese design and craftsmanship.

The IMs’ electric powertrain consists of dual electric motors (front and rear) and a fast charging 115kWh battery that generates 483 horsepower (360 kW) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque, ensuring that the concept car will not only keep up with modern-day sports sedans but leave most of them in the dust. Capable of traveling an estimated 380 miles on a single charge, the IMs is on the same playing field with its gasoline-powered counterparts in terms of range.

The powertrain utilizes a high-performance all-wheel-drive system, resulting in an ideal front/rear weight balance, exceptional traction and excellent cornering performance in nearly any conditions. Thanks to an advanced air suspension that adapts to different driving situations, the IMs provides a silky-smooth ride and flat cornering characteristics.

“With the raised, flat-bottom platform and absence of interior restrictions, there’s a sense of almost levitating, as if you’re riding on a magic carpet,” said Albaisa.

In manual driving mode, the IMs’ interior becomes a driver-centric cockpit with advanced driver-assistance technology and multi-level information displays, giving the driver full vehicle control. The vehicle’s complex, interconnected components, sensor outputs and control units are all integrated into a simple interface. For example, the super-thin, two-layer floating instrument-panel screen offers both technical information and a visual exploration of the world around the vehicle when desired.

In autonomous driving mode, the steering wheel retracts and the front seats pivot inward to face the innovative rear seating arrangement, characterized by the special “Premier Seat.”

“There is no center console, so when the front seats are turned, the interior becomes an enjoyable, relaxing ‘grand area’ where the occupants can engage with each other in a comfortable way,” said Albaisa. “And the unique rear center seating allows the primary passenger to enjoy the vehicle’s intelligent connectivity features at all times, whether the driver is in autonomous or manual mode operation.”

Stay tuned to these pages for more information on other innovations and technological breakthroughs being developed at Nissan.