Nissan Invitation concept

A highlight of Nissan’s stand at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show is likely to be the Invitation concept.

It previews a new B-segment model that’ll be launched next year to sit between the funky Juke and anodyne Micra in the marque’s European range. A replacement for the Note in other words, then.

And, like the Note, the styling works well: different enough to be interesting, but not so avant-garde that it could risk alienating potential customers.

In profile, the two most striking features of the Invitation are its glasshouse and sculptured panels. The latter carry what Nissan is calling the ‘Squash Line’, a device that flows neatly into the rear light clusters and rear screen, holding the design together.

Although the engine line-up has yet to be confirmed, Nissan is hoping that the greenest version will achieve carbon dioxide emissions of less than 100 g/km. That’s an important target as far as UK buyers are concerned, because it’d mean zero road tax and a 100% discount on the London Congestion Charge.

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