Nissan Vmotion 2.0 concept car previews bold new self-driving sedan

Nissan has whipped the sheets from its newest concept car, the Vmotion 2.0, a striking luxury sedan with autonomous driving and a high-luxe interior. Revealed today, during the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) 2017, the new concept previews a potential future four-door design direction for Nissan, the automaker promises. That includes more focus on dynamic styling, along with a greater emphasis on the cabin experience.

The Vmotion 2.0 concept car comes in at roughly the same dimensions as the current Nissan Maxima, though the low-slung sedan has a roofline dropped several inches than the production car. At the front, there's a more aggressive, stylized version of the "V-motion" grille currently used on the Maxima and other Nissan vehicles, like the Murano. Here, it's the kicking off point for some deep crease lines that vent back over the hood.

Meanwhile, there's a "floating roof" with another uninterrupted arc-line from A-pillar to trunk lid, and emphasized by the broken C-pillar. Wrap-around rear glass keeps the tail looking trim, as does carbon elements threaded through with silver. It's not the only unexpected metal, mind: the silver paint has copper undertones, which Nissan says are only visible when you're at just the right angle.

Copper makes a reappearance in a more significant way inside the cabin, too, along with Zebra Wood. Entered through huge doors, hinged from the A- and C-pillars to open outwards like butterfly wings, there's no B-pillar to interrupt the entrance. Four seats, clad in leather with threadless quilting sit either side of an arching center console, with an integrated display for the rear passengers.

Those in the front get a single, wide-aspect panel that serves as both the driver's instrumentation and the central infotainment display. A touchpad in the center console is used for navigation. Bose UltraNearfield Speakers can beam audio precisely in a 360-degree surround sound field, allowing alerts and notifications to be pinpointed by angle.

Nissan envisages the Vmotion 2.0 as featuring ProPILOT, billed as "autonomous driving support". Promising to assist drivers on urban roads and at intersections, it's indicated to those outside with a bold glowing emblem around the Nissan badge on the front when active, as well as a glowing rear diffuser. Eventually, the automaker suggests, its cars will be able to drive autonomously in all conditions.

That's still some way off, mind, though we'd not be surprised if the design cues seen here show up in future production cars. Nissan says Vmotion 2.0 is intended to showcase the aesthetic direction of its new sedans, with a more futuristic and cabin-focused design than today's models. That's no bad thing, though we'll have to wait a little longer to see in what form it'll end up in dealerships.

Check out the full gallery link at the bottom for live photos of the Nissan Vmotion 2.0!