Nissan seems proud of its own cleverness in past designs, as evidenced by the
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| In the sea of somewhat bland crossover vehicles, the design of the Tone is a refreshing change. (Photo: Nissan Canada) |
integration of a grinning, two-tier chrome front radiator grille, which is immediately recognizable as being partially derived from the Murano. Nissan's Qashqai concept car, which had its debut in Geneva earlier this year, also had a direct influence on the Tone's styling. Borrowed from the concept are several features, including the triangular shape of the rear windows, as well as the boomerang-style LED taillamps which wrap around to the roof. In the end, the design of the Tone is a refreshing change, especially for a segment that rarely produces anything particularly tempting when it comes to appearances.
Another breath of fresh air inherent in the Tone concept is less noticeable, its chassis architecture. Making clear its production intentions Nissan's crossover is based
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| Nissan's crossover is based on the recently introduced European-division B-segment platform, developed and shared by Nissan and Renault. (Photo: Nissan Canada) |
on the recently introduced European-division B-segment platform, developed and shared by Nissan and Renault. The advanced chassis made its debut on the Renault Modus mini-MPV earlier this year, and will be used by Nissan to underpin the next generation of Micra subcompacts. In contrast to the Modus, which occupies the same market segment as the Tone, Nissan's version is longer and larger than its French counterpart. At 4,055 mm (159.6 inches) in length, the Tone is roughly the same size as Toyota's Echo Sedan, but it features a massive 2,600 mm (102.4 inch) wheelbase, which is a mere 25 mm (0.98 in) shorter than the X-Trail. Height, at 1,542 mm (60.7 inches) is quite low, to reduce the center of gravity in order to maintain ideal driving manners.
