Last month, Nissan teased its upcoming next-gen Elgrand, and as expected, it features a toned-down version of the Hyper Tourer concept’s styling. With the bits of information available, we decided that I should take a shot at rendering the production version.
Compared to the current Elgrand, the next-gen model has a sleeker silhouette with a more steeply raked windshield. While it’s not as futuristic and aggressive as the concept van that previewed its design direction, it retains enough of the styling elements to give it a distinct look. Up front, it wears a square-pattern grille flanked by slim headlights and square-pattern daytime running lights. The upper portion of the grille is gloss-black, while the lower portion is body-colored. The square pattern continues on the lower intake. Hints of what could be vertical intakes can be seen in each front corner if you brighten the image.
Moving on to the sides, I toned down the sharp character lines and sculpted surfaces of the Hyper Tourer, but kept the overall flavor. A chrome strip begins at the base of the A-pillar and extends all the way to the base of the tailgate-mounted roof spoiler. The rear end features an LED light bar with a square pattern that mirrors that of the front grille and DRLs. I decided to put the Hyper Tourer’s ‘N-I-S-S-A-N’ lettering at the rear instead of the usual circular logo—this, I think, is the direction the Japanese carmaker might take in the near future.
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Expect the next-gen Elgrand to be powered by the Nissan e-Power tech. According to the manufacturer, it will get a 1.5-liter gasoline mill paired with an electric motor. As a refresher, the gasoline engine in the e-Power system acts as a generator that charges the electric motor’s battery pack.
What platform could it ride on? My guess would be an updated version of the outgoing model’s large front-wheel-drive Nissan D platform. The current Elgrand has an independent front MacPherson strut suspension and an independent multilink rear setup. In terms of dimensions, I wouldn’t be surprised if it stays close to the current outgoing model, which is pretty similar in size to the Alphard we’re familiar with.
Would you consider the next-gen Nissan Elgrand over the Alphard, assuming it reaches our shores? Let us know in the comments.
