Sway concept previews Nissan small car design direction

Nissan is looking to shake its dowdy small car image with a bolder look with elements of its funky small SUVs.

The brand recently unveiled the Sway concept hatchback that carried the "V-motion" grille and floating roof styling cues that feature on the Juke and Qashqai softroaders.

The more modern look contrasts with the conservative styling of its Pulsar hatch and the oddball Micra. Nissan global design boss Shiro Nakamura wouldn't confirm the Sway as a direct replacement for the Micra but said it hinted at a production model in the next couple of years.

That timing ties in with the product cycle of the Micra, which launched in Australia in 2010 and is due for a redesign.

Speaking at the car's Geneva unveiling, Nakamura said Sway would compete with Ford's Fiesta and VW's Polo, which are both a size up from the current Micra. But it's uncertain whether the current Micra will grow or another car will slot in between it and the larger Pulsar.

The Sway is also designed to bring a more cohesive look to Nissan's range as there is a gulf between the bland Pulsar and edgy Juke and Qashqai

Apart from the external design cues, the concept debuted a more upmarket cabin that Nakamura says is designed to match the aesthetics of continental rivals. The simple, uncluttered dash reflects the latest minimalist cabin designs from Peugeot and VW. 'The expectation in Europe is much higher than in the US," he says.

The Sway is also designed to bring a more cohesive look to Nissan's range as there is a gulf between the bland Pulsar and edgy Juke and Qashqai. "We want to have a more consistent direction throughout the line-up," Nakamura says.

It's an approach that has worked for VW, which has a consistent corporate look. The bold, manga comic-style look of the concept car inevitably will be toned down by the time it gets to production but the intent is clearly to inject some much-needed emotion into Nissan's small car designs. "The Sway continues our tradition of challenging the status quo in market segments by bringing something fresh, distinctive and striking, much as we did with Qashqai and Juke," Nakamura says.