MPVs

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While the Nissan Invitation concept clearly previews the 2013 Nissan Note, the Hi-Cross concept from the same carmaker is an equally believable early presentation of the next generation Qashqai, X-Trail and Murano.

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Video transcript

Now the Hi-Cross might just be a concept car, but this is what Nissan's larger crossovers will look like in the near future. So that will cover the Qashqai, the X-Trail and maybe a Murano as well. And Nissan say some key features from this concept will make it through to production cars. For example, the kind of swoop in the bonnet, and this V-shaped Nissan grill, and the star for the lights as well.

That's all going to make it through to the potential new Qashqai and the X-Trail. When this car does become available as a production model, it'll come with two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive and will have this kind of more road-focused bias with a little less ground clearance than you'd expect from a traditional 4 by 4.

However, there will be five or seven seat versions as well. So, it's definitely going for that kind of large car kind of more compact MPV market. So, it's going after cars like the Ford Mondeo and the like the Qashqai did previously when it went into the medium sector to take on the Ford Focus and the Volkswagen Golf.

And while from the outside, this may look like an almost finished product. There hasn't been much talk about engines or prices yet. So, it totally depends where it fits in the market for Nissan and whether it replaces an X-Trail or a Qashqai. Now because at the moment this is only a concept car, there's not really been a lot of talk about engines or prices.

So, it totally depends on what this will replace and how it fits into the range for Nissan. We've got more details about this car and all the other cars launched at the Geneva Motor Show. Find it all at which.co.uk/cars.

What is the Nissan Hi-Cross?

The concept car itself is a crossover with a serious focus on design, Smooth, curved lines mean the silhouette of the car is very similar to most of the crossover-SUV sector, but features like the swooping bonnet, the almost-V-shaped grille and headlight shape are also touches likely to go into production on Nissan models of the near future.

Both two and four-wheel drive variants are being suggested by Nissan, but with a more road than off-road bias, which could be argued as perfectly acceptable replacements for the current Qashqai, Murano and X-Trail.

However, Nissan is gunning for the larger car market here, with seven and five-seat options. And the manufacturer will be looking to replicate the Qashqai’s success in the medium car sector by stealing sales from well-established firms such as Ford (Mondeo) and Vauxhall (Insignia).

What engine is the Nissan Hi-Cross likely to use?

With this being more of a design concept, there’s been little talk of the powertrain. However, we’d expect a 2.0-litre diesel to be the most appropriate of engine additions for when it does eventually launch in one guise or another, along with smaller-capacity diesel and petrol offerings.

When can I buy one?

Whatever the Hi-Cross appears as in the future, 2013 looks like the earliest we’ll be seeing the production model.

How much will it cost?

The Qashqai currently starts from just over £16k, and the X-Trail at £25k, so it depends on what is replaced and where the Hi-Cross fits into the current Nissan range.

See more car launches from the Geneva Motor Show 2012

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