Again within the Nineties, the minivan was nonetheless the de facto selection for hauling bigger households. However that was additionally the last decade when SUVs regularly began to take over. Nissan had the foresight to identify a shift in buyer preferences and invested in increasing its crossover lineup on the flip of the century.
Nevertheless, a minimum of for a second, Nissan thought of a completely different different to its Quest minivan. On the 1997 Tokyo Motor Present, the Fashionable 6 took the stage as a supersized wagon. Consider it as Japan’s tackle huge American wagons just like the Ford Nation Squire, Oldsmobile Customized Cruiser, or Buick Roadmaster Wagon.
We managed to pay money for the press launch from practically three many years in the past and found Nissan aptly referred to as it a “utility wagon.” However whereas most autos on this section had a rear-facing third row, the Fashionable 6 took a unique method. In contrast to the Volvo V70 and Mercedes E-Class, Nissan didn’t need the rearmost seats to really feel like an afterthought, so it oriented them ahead.
Photograph by: Nissan
Second-row swivel captain’s chairs leaned closely into minivan territory. If you didn’t want the third row, the rearmost seats folded towards the edges of the automobile to liberate cargo capability. Nissan wished to supply minivan-like practicality whereas protecting the peak nearer to that of a sedan.
To maintain youngsters occupied on longer journeys, screens mounted within the entrance and second-row seats supplied leisure. Fold-out tables with built-in cup holders had been one other function generally related to minivans, however right here they appeared in a extra car-like bundle, skipping the tall roof and sliding doorways.
There have been much more screens in entrance of the driving force, the place a cut up instrument cluster sat subsequent to the infotainment show. The Fashionable 6 hails from a time when automakers nonetheless used beneficiant quantities of bodily buttons, at the same time as screens had been starting to make their method into interiors.
Nissan wished to supply minivan-like practicality whereas protecting the peak nearer to that of a sedan.
Performance was additional emphasised by pop-up sections of the middle console, offering entry to cup holders and an ashtray. There was even a desk that emerged from the passenger aspect of the wraparound dashboard. The intent was clear: a extremely practical wagon as an alternative choice to minivans and SUVs.
Clear surfaces and a seven-slot grille outlined the outside styling. A strip of chrome operating alongside the aspect and lengthening to the rear emphasised the two-tone physique. Nissan made the a lot of the lengthy roof by putting in two giant glass panels to enrich an already beneficiant greenhouse with giant aspect home windows and tailgate glass.
The idea’s title wasn’t written on the tailgate, as one would possibly count on, however relatively on the D-pillars on either side. Nissan by no means launched particulars in regards to the automobile’s size, though judging by the massive rear doorways and lengthy overhangs, it probably approached 200 inches (over 5 meters).
We do know what was hiding behind the bizarre slotted grille. The Fashionable 6 was an early hybrid try, combining a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter V6 with an electrical motor and a CVT. On the idea’s unveiling in Tokyo, the place it shared the highlight with the Trailrunner high-riding coupe, Nissan claimed “superior driving efficiency and environmental friendliness,” although it didn’t present specifics.
A manufacturing model by no means adopted, as Nissan as an alternative targeted on the Quest whereas increasing its SUV lineup. The Quest was finally phased out in 2017, however the Elgrand minivan lives on. It just lately transitioned to its fourth era, following a preview of the manufacturing mannequin with the edgy 2023 Hyper Tourer Idea. It’s not the one minivan within the firm’s portfolio, because the smaller Serena stays obtainable in Japan.
It’s extremely unlikely Nissan will experiment with this form of segment-blurring automobile once more anytime quickly. A serious cost-cutting plan is underway, involving 20,000 layoffs, seven manufacturing unit closures, and the shutdown of two design studios. Because of this, logic tells us that any new ideas should preview volume-oriented manufacturing fashions. Even one-off idea automobiles are extraordinarily costly to develop, so the cash is healthier spent elsewhere.
In 2026, some manufacturers nonetheless get pleasure from success with wagons, however they continue to be comparatively common solely in Europe, the place Nissan focuses totally on crossovers and SUVs. It nonetheless sells the Micra as an electrical hatchback, though the supermini is basically a Renault 5 in disguise.
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Supply: Nissan
