Nissan steals the show

’s Pivo concept car being shown at the

showcases several innovations for urban driving.

The 76th international Motor Show opening in Geneva this week promises motorised eye-candy to all its car-loving visitors. But few manufacturers are exhibiting quite as radical a model as Nissan’s Pivo.

First reported in The Engineer on 17 October 2005 when it debuted at the Tokyo motor show, the Pivo owes its cartoon-like appearance to a partnership with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. Although it is unlikely to hit the showroom in its current format, a number of innovations have the potential to ease the hassle of urban driving.

It is powered by a compact Lithium-ion (Li-ON) battery which drives two Nissan-designed Super Motors, one for each axle.

The Pivo is named after the ability of the cabin to pivot 360 degrees, putting an end to parallel parking and three-point turns, as the driver can always face the direction of travel. This is made possible by electronic connections removing the need for mechanical links between the body and the chassis.

Despite its tiny dimensions of 2.7 metres by 1.6 metres, it holds a driver centrally placed at the front and two passengers in the rear.

Navigation and in-car entertainment are operated by an infrared camera which detects finger movements without having to let go of the steering wheel. Nissan's Around View Monitor reduces blind spots by displaying the outside surroundings on screens mounted on the inside of the car's A-pillars located on either side of the windscreen.

Even if a test drive isn’t possible, visitors to the show will at least have somewhere to rest their feet. The Pivo features soft recessed areas to provide a seat when the car is parked.