Next Nissan Z Rumored to be a Crossover

The next-generation Nissan Z could be what no previous Z has been before: a crossover.

According to Autocar, the new Z will be a radical sports crossover and it’ll debut in concept form at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show in September before arriving in showrooms by 2017.

The Japanese automaker has been mulling over what direction to take the Z, and has considered moving it down market to compete with the Scion FR-S with a more basic four-cylinder model, which was previewed by the iDx. But plans for the iDx have been axed and the company’s chief creative officer, Shiro Nakamura, recently said in an interview that he feels the “Z needs more revolution than evolution,” hinting that the model needs to take a new path.

SEE ALSO: Next-Gen Nissan Z Could Move Down Market to Compete with FR-S

If the Z does end up being a crossover, expect it to be similar in size to the current Juke though it’ll be based on a platform from the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Under the hood, a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is likely to provide power. The platform is also capable of using hybrid powertrains.

It’s worth noting that Nissan considers the Z a sub-brand and there’s always the possibility it could spawn two different Z models, one as a traditional sports coupe and one as a crossover.

[Source: Autocar]

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