The 1995 Tokyo Motor Show was rich in bright new items and concept cars - all major Japanese auto companies brought their developments here to compete in advancement and originality. A lot of attention was drawn to the concept of the XIX stand of Nissan, which, according to the company's words, is a "multifunctional sedan." The concept's name is not the Roman number 19, but the word "Xix," which in the Japanese manner reads "Xix."
XIX was built on the all-wheel drive Nissan Sunny platform of the time, which in America is known as the Nissan Sentra. The preference was given to the all-wheel-drive chassis so that the high ground clearance of the car was of practical importance. They did not reinvent the wheel with the engine either - they installed the time-tested "four" SR20DE with a capacity of 150 horsepower.
The main feature of the XIX was not its chassis but the body. This car was the world's first crossover sedan. Nissan even released a series of pictures explaining why the car they created is so convenient: you can service it yourself; it is powerful and high-torque (including thanks to the all-wheel-drive); it is both practical off-road and on the highway; its trunk can be washed directly from the hose; it is convenient to transport household utensils and long loads ... and so on.
Although the Kiks was positioned as a concept car, it was fully ready for mass production. It was assumed that the car would become a popular car in the United States and in Europe, where a moderately compact crossover (4.6 meters) will successfully fit into traffic. The reality, unfortunately, turned out to be much more prosaic.
Back at the 1995 exhibition, the XIX began to grow overgrown with not the most pleasant reviews, which, if you generalize, boiled down to the fact that you still have to look for a worse car. And Nissan's arguments in favor of such a body did not look very convincing. Realizing that the car would not be in demand, the company gave it up. However, Nissan did end up with a freaky crossover.
Source: www.nissan.co.jp; Top 5 Ugliest Concept Trucks - www.pickuptrucks.com; motor.ru
