Nissan Debuts Vmotion 2.0 Concept and 2017 Rogue Sport

Nissan used the Detroit Auto Show stage to debut their futuristic Vmotion 2.0 concept car and the 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport, the latest offering in the compact SUV's lineup.

Nissan Vmotion 2.0 Concept

Nissan has the Vmotion 2.0 concept car center stage at their booth at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. The futuristic styling, suicide doors, and autonomous capabilities are enough to make anybody stop and take a closer look.

The Vmotion 2.0 has a striking exterior with its silver paint with copper undertones, "V-Motion" grille that forms the front of the car with its 3-D shape, distinctive body surfaces with sharp character lines on the sides, and glass roof that flows from the A-pillars to the trunk lip.

And, of course, there are the suicide doors. The front and rear doors swing outward to show off the interior. You'll notice that there is no B-pillar present, allowing for easy entry into the vehicle.

Inside, things get even more interesting. For starters, there are patterned leather seats that incorporate the stereo system into the headrest portion. There's also Zebra Wood on the floor and inner doors.

The Vmotion 2.0's dashboard features a humongous panoramic display above the instrument panel that is always in view thanks to a steering wheel without the top half. The horizontal screen displays the interface of the concept's autonomous driving mode, known as ProPILOT.

Nissan didn't explain how ProPILOT works, but they did say it would be functional in cities, on highways, and on urban roads with intersections. The autonomous system is operated with a multi-functional touchpad when in use. Both the Nissan logo on the grille and the rear diffuser light up and glow when the vehicle is in ProPILOT mode.

Nissan didn't release any powertrain or performance specifications, but, size-wise, it's close to that of the current Maxima. The concept is 1.5 inches shorter and 1.2 inches wider with a wheelbase that is 2.9 inches longer compared to the production sedan.

The automaker said to expect design cues from the Vmotion 2.0 concept to make their way onto future production Nissan vehicles, which has been the pattern with their concepts in the past. Perhaps ProPILOT also offers a glimpse at how the self-driving Nissans of the future will operate.

2017 Nissan Rogue Sport

The 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport also debuted in orange alongside the Vmotion 2.0 concept. The Sport variant of Nissan's popular line of compact SUVs departs from the standard Rogue in a number of ways.

The Rogue Sport is smaller. It's 12.1 inches shorter in terms of length and 5.6 inches less when it comes to height. Its wheelbase is also 2.3 inches shorter than the regular Rogue. These dimensions did lead to slightly less second-row leg room and cargo volume, but headroom wasn't compromised much.

We see another departure from the standard Rogue under the hood. The Rogue Sport will be powered by a 141-horsepower, 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engine mated to an Xtronic continuously variable transmission.

Nissan hopes the smaller Rogue Sport, which is said to have nimble handling thanks to the wheelbase and four-wheel independent suspension, will be more maneuverable in city traffic and parking while also remaining fun to drive.

The 2017 Nissan Rogue Sport comes in three different trims: S, SV and SL. Each can be had with either front- or all-wheel drive. The Rogue Sport will arrive in dealerships in spring of 2017, with pricing to be released at a later date.

For now, you can catch it and the Vmotion 2.0 concept on display at the Nissan booth at the Detroit Auto Show, which runs through January 22nd.