The carmaker said the inspiration for the Nissan Gripz Concept came from the legendary 240Z desert racers as well as the sleek two-wheel world of road cycling.

It added that the design explores a new sporty direction for a crossover concept and was conceived to create an “innovative new driving sensation”.

The design for the crossover features the familiar Nissan grille and boomerang-shaped LED headlights but with strong crossover elements. Nissan also said that it will “continue to innovate and move the bar higher” with the new model and will offer a “new way to feel driving excitement”.

Although the concept could preview the forthcoming new Juke, according to reports it heralds an all-new sports-orientated crossover that will sit between the Juke and Qashqai and will be built on the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s Common Module Family (CMF) platform.