2002 Nissan Yanya Concept

Nissan introduced the Yanya B-segment SUV concept at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show. This 4x4 vehicle has four-doors and four-seats. There is a removable roof that is composed of four panels which can be removed and stored inside the tailgate.

This can be used as a passenger car or for carrying cargo.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2010

Aimed at the young and sophisticated global city-dwellers of the future, the Nissan Yanya concept was debuted at 2002 Geneva Motor Show. An extremely adaptable vehicle, the Yanya was a practical and high-tech vehicle that could be configured in numerous ways to suit a drivers needs. The outside of the Yanya is unmistakably ‘SUV-like', but the interior is incredibly stylish and filled with soft touch and durable materials against state of the art entertainment and IT systems. The Yanya is based on the palpitated techno music of the age, and it is such a concept SUV designed to appeal to a younger consumer of this generation.

A supermini with slight off-road capabilities, the Yanya could be transformed from a fully enclosed vehicle into a convertible or a small pickup. The Nissan Yanya's power came from a hybrid drivetrain where in the front was a small internal combustion engine that powered the front wheels. At the rear an electric motor supplied power to the rear wheels if necessary.

The 4X4 Yanya had four individual doors and four seats and each passenger received their own internet connection. The roof is removable and is composed of four panels that can be removed and stored inside the tailgate. The Yanya can also be used as a passenger car or for carrying cargo. In introducing the Yanya, Nissan was seeking to define new limits of flexibility and technology for the newest generation of young people.

The Yanya was developed not only to adapt to the diverse social life of the young, but also to remain affordable for this group of clientele. The distinctive exterior flare is matched equally by its intelligent adaptable interior functionality. The spacious yet compact Yanya removable roof is full-length and is composed of four panels that can be stored inside the tailgate, which effectively converted it into a convertible. The Yanya was tall and upright which created maximum interior space in a bodyshell 4 meters in length, and featured 18inch alloy wheels pushed far out into its four corners as possible. Tall and squat, Nissan wanted to impart both strength and integrity in the design of the Yanya. Providing contract with the hard, sever lines of the Yanya's body the bumpers, wheels and flender fares are coated with a soft, translucent acrylic gel.

Soft-touch materials were abundant on the inside of the car and included color-coded applications of the gel on the Yanya's exterior. Orange indicates a function switch while blue marks protective surfaces. Creating a simple and high-tech appearance, grained aluminum alloy is used extensively. Alluding to a sense of spaciousness, seating is flexible mounted to a central tubular steel backbone along with plenty of under-seat storage room.

The Yanya is also famed for the ability to transform into a ‘mobile living room' with a storage module that is found between the rear seats that can be slid forward and its side panels could extend to create a table. Inside this model also contained remote controls for hi-fi, satellite navigation along with facilities to link up with personal organizers for all four passengers. Passengers can go in-car web surfing due to an internet connection through the Yanya's information and entertainment systems. Each passenger headrest contained its own set of audio speakers which allows individual passengers to control volume and ensure that the music can be heard even with the top removed.

But the party isn't just on the inside of the Yanya, the exterior is actually complete with speakers and an internal power supply that can be removed from the center of the fascia and carried to wherever the location is.

By Jessica Donaldson