Nissan Designers Go Crazy With Cyberpunk Electric Hatchback Concept

Nissan is no stranger to funky concepts, as we saw at Tokyo Auto Salon earlier this year, at the 2022 SEMA Show or with the futuristic quartet announced back in late 2021.

This week, while confirming plans to sell nothing but EV models in Europe by 2030, one of which will be a successor to the tiny Micra (which we no longer have here in Canada), the automaker unveiled the Concept 20-23 celebrating the 20th anniversary of the opening of its European design studio in London. It sure looks like a juiced-up, cyberpunk-inspired Micra, don’t you think?

The photo gallery above will show you the car from every angle. By the way, there are no chassis or powertrain details to share. Nissan has no intention to enter production with this concept.

The Concept 20-23's unique mug is an odd mix of round and rectangular shapes. 

The LED headlights are thin semi-circles. The turn signals are part of the units.

A lip spoiler extends from the front bumper. 

Designers imagined a fun electric city car that they'd like to drive every day in London. The result is strongly influenced by the online racing world.

The geometrically styled 21-inch wheels are wrapped in Pirelli P Zero high-performance tires.

These are centre-locking wheels, as you can see.

 The top side of the wheel arches front and rear feature vented louvres to reduce the pressure that can create air resistance in the wheel bay.

The extended skirts hug the body side on the lower portion of the car.

The same fenders and louvres can be found in the rear.

At the rear, a large single-piece spoiler emerges harmoniously from the roof rail, with endplates which curve from the near vertical close to the C-pillar over to the angled horizontal element which generates the downforce.

The racy and aerodynamic profile in the rear is a highlight of Concept 20-23.

The exterior grey paint has a textured finish, giving the impression of being hewn from a single piece of metal, reflecting the gritty environment it was designed to inhabit. The company number – 23 – features on the car's rear three-quarters.

A massive diffuser occupies the space where you'd normally find the rear bumper.

Like the front, each of the taillights consist of a thin upper and lower semi-circle LED which contrast with the squared-off forms of the lower portion. 

The full width of the car is emphasized by a horizontal bar below what looks like a soft smile that defines the outline of the rear hatchback.

Cameras replace the side mirrors, unsurprisingly.

Oh, and scissor doors are part of the package, too.

Time to go racing!

A brace bar runs across the door openings covered in foam padding to protect elbows, requiring the driver and passenger to step over it in order to reach their seats.

Once in position, the driver is greeted by a long extended steering column which culminates in a rectangular sports steering wheel festooned with multiple controls and adjustments. Paddles to adjust the electric powertrain performance and additional switches are within fingertip reach behind the wheel.

The two deep bucket seats offer tight support, but not at the expense of comfort. Or so Nissan says. 

Brace bars add reinforcement to the cockpit for sharper handling.