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This asymmetrical, compact, tall-two-box city car has a uniquely innovative exterior shape, but what’s far more important is what Nissan’s designers have achieved inside - a new approach to interior space.
The Chappo concept is designed in anticipation of a future generation of young, sophisticated, city-car users who want their car to be more than a means of transport. A generation for which the car has also become a social space for people to gather: their mobile space.
It is a car with the space and equipment to become a ‘living-room on wheels’. A place for one person to relax in calm surroundings, to meet with friends, to work, to enjoy music or videos, maybe to surf the web or to play interactive games.
The design theme of Chappo shows clear signs of Nissan’s Japanese roots, but interpreted in a futuristic way. It reiterates themes of a traditional tearoom and incorporates styling cues inspired by Japan’s typical tatami texture and circular windows. Details such as the exterior door handles, similar to those of the Nissan Z concept, show a new Nissan form language.
The direction for the Chappo came from head of design Shiro Nakamura, and was developed at the Nissan Technical Centre in Japan. The project typifies a new energy in Nissan’s creative operations. It is a concept which breaks the bounds of convention, yet retains an eye on reality. The Chappo concept is based on the idea of a house over-looking a Zen garden. It is defined by Nissan’s designers as a "room on wheels" and the garden can be anything from an urban cityscape to a beautiful bay.
"The Nissan Chappo is designed to reflect the fact that across the world, youth demands increasingly personal and diverse solutions to lifestyle and recreational needs," said Nakamura.
The Chappo offers them the opportunity to move their room, with its comfort and features, wherever they want to go whether that is near a city park, in a garden, by the sea or the river, maybe in the mountains.
"We conceived the unique interior of the Nissan Chappo not just for driving, but as a social space where young people will want to meet and relax. The dual-entry door opens both ways to allow easy ingress and egress for all possible configurations of our versatile interior. The ingenious L-shape seating creates a futuristic living room on wheels." - Kaoru Satou, Chief Designer, Interior, Chappo concept.
The basic shape of the Chappo is that of a tall but compact three-door city car, but the tall body gives far more headroom and the interior layout gives more space, with incredibly high flexibility.
"I have used strong but simple planes combined with subtle angles to give the YYC an almost two dimensional appearance. We opted for an asymmetric exterior design to reflect and enhance the very special interior layout." - Taro Ueda, Chief Designer, Exterior, Chappo concept.
While the two-dimensional, plastic appearance of the exterior reminded some observers of "Barbie's" car, the upper part of the striking white exterior shows a bold approach in the window graphics and beveled surfaces.
The Chappo reflects Nissan’s new direction of contrasts supported by heritage. Like the Primera concept, shown at the Paris Motor Show last October, it combines elements of warm and cold, man and machine, personality and technology - looking to the future while recharging the positive elements of Nissan’s rich heritage.