Nissan Friend-ME Aimed at Chinese Youth Who Will Soon Buy Cars

NissanNissanJapan, 1932 > present159 models
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introduced its Friend-MENissan Friend-MEJapan, 2013 > 2013 concept at the Shanghai Motor Show that it is aiming at the future car-buying Chinese youth. The car may look like a coupe, but it is actually a four-door sedan.

Nissan believes that China has a rapidly growing group of young people who are technologically advanced and will be in the market to buy a car in the coming years. The young males that Nissan is marketing towards are mostly only children who value friends as closely as they would siblings. Therefore, the interior is spacious and fits people easily.

The Friend-ME was inspired as a car to be driven at night and look best in bright city lights. One of the advantages to designing a car for China is that Nissan does not have to reference any of its previous designs. The headlights of the Friend-ME are vaguely inspired by contemporary Nissans like the 370ZNissan 370ZJapan, 2008 > 201226 versions
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but everything else is all new. The front has a V-shaped grill with the lines of the V leading directly to creases in the hood that lead to the edges of the hood. The side shows a car with a short hood and long, low roofline. It makes the car look especially long with a spacious cabin. The rear has a short fastback with steeply raking glass and V-shaped taillights that echo the shapes of the headlights and grill.

Inside, the center console extends from the dashboard to the rear seats, but the rear passengers get their own displays for the car’s speed, navigation and fuel economy. Each passenger is also equal when it comes to the infotainment system. If rear passengers find something cool, they can send it to the front or vice versa.

Power comes from a hybrid engine, but Nissan gave no other details.

"If there's one thing we want Nissan to be known for, it's uniquely powerful insight into what excites and delights customers across China. Friend-Me is just the beginning,” said François Bancon, product head at Nissan.