Nissan debuts Sport Sedan Concept at Detroit auto show

Nissan introduced the Sport Sedan Concept to go along with its IDx twins at the Detroit auto show on Monday. The company says the sleek four-door embodies the next-generation design cues, including the V-Motion front end, floating roof and boomerang headlights.

“The Sport Sedan Concept shows a new, highly emotional and energetic design direction that takes Nissan's approach of applying sports-car principles to a sedan to the next level,” said Nissan vice president Shiro Nakamura. “The Sport Sedan Concept captures that essence with bold and exciting sports-car design and proportions.”

From the front, the Sport Sedan Concept features the V-Motion design through its character lines in the hood and chrome v-shaped bar in the grille. LED boomerang headlights sit on either side. Two large air intakes with fog lights occupy the lower corners.

The profile view shows off the “floating roof” design, as well as the custom 21-inch alloy wheels. The boomerang taillights creep onto the rear quarter panels.

“The innovative roofline, which is also prevalent on Resonance and Friend-ME, makes it seem as if there are no pillars at all, enhancing the sense of athleticism and sportiness,” said Nakamura. “The roofline also contributes to the Sport Sedan Concept's class-leading stance, which balances the look of the substantially lower body and a streamlined cabin.”

The orange paint color is called Strad Amber, which Nissan says was inspired by the color of classic violins.

Inside, the Sport Sedan Concept uses diamond-shaped graphics on the seats, adding a three-dimensional aspect. It also features high-contrast colors and metallic accents.

Nissan says the SSC is powered by a 300-plus hp V6 with a CVT, similar to the layout in the current Maxima. Size-wise, it's also about the same as Nissan's famous four-door.

The North American International Auto Show, known to most as the Detroit auto show, continues to serve as a barometer for the entire industry. This year, we'll expect to see the new Chevrolet Corvette Z06, the 2015 Ford Mustang and the BMW M3 and M4. The 2014 Detroit auto show is held at Cobo Hall in Detroit, MI and is open to the public from January 18-26.

By Jake Lingeman