Nissan is previewing at the Detroit International Auto Show the QX Inspiration electric INFINITI, an electric vehicle which combines an electrified all-wheel drive powertrain with SUV body and introduces a new INFINITI form language for the era of electrification.

The INFINITI QX Inspiration is a midsize SUV concept previewing the brand's first fully electric vehicle. The INFINITI lineup of the future will consist of a range of electric, e-POWER and performance hybrid vehicles.

The QX Inspiration concept draws on the Japanese spatial concept of 'Ma,' demonstrating "how open spaces between lines create tension and build anticipation," according to INFINITY.

This Japanese DNA continues into the cabin. The interior of QX Inspiration is hand-crafted using traditional techniques and a choice of materials inspired by a subtle Japanese sensuality. The development of new electrified vehicle platforms enables the creation of spacious, lounge-like interiors influenced by omotenashi, the Japanese approach to hospitality. The cabin incorporates technologies to create a welcoming environment while assisting drivers and connecting occupants to the world around them.

The brand's first fully electric car is a high-performance SUV. The concept's SUV packaging means the high-capacity battery pack can be located below the vehicle floor, feeding power to a pair of electric motors (one on each axle).

The cab-forward design of the cocept SUV has short front and rear overhangs (855 mm and 945 mm, respectively) and a short hood. The concept's overall length is 4,650 mm. The long roofline peaks at 1,630 mm in height, at a point directly above the front row of seats, then flows downwards into the car's aerodynamically efficient Kammback rear.

Without the need for a large front grille to cool an engine, the QX Inspiration concept retains shapes that define what would have been an air intake. The smooth surfaces replacing the grille feature an illuminated INFINITI logo, book-ended by channels that divert air over and around the body. Housed within wheelarches clad in contrasting black protective material are 22-inch wheels.

The QX Inspiration concept is finished in Liquid White pearlescent paint, inspired by the winter snows of Mount Fuji. In addition, highlights on the D-pillar and wheels are finished with two new signature color treatments, gold and vermilion.

Dominating the concept's dashboard is a wide-screen monitor flowing from pillar to pillar, finished in polarized gold-tinted glass. The rectangular steering wheel, trimmed in soft brown and white leather, also features its own monitor. In place of a transmission tunnel, graceful arches, trimmed in brown leather, rise out of the floor beneath the dashboard, flowing into a Bianco Carrara marble center console which extends to the rear seats.

The instrument panel is trimmed in a grey cloth. The cloth extends from the front of the cabin and transitions into sofa-style rear seating area, proportioned for two passengers.

As seen from the outside, the headlining of the vehicle is replaced by a unique timber louver structure, inspired by Japanese architecture.

The vehicle's flat floor receives its own treatment. Upholstered in white suede panels in a variety of rhomboid shapes, it features kintsugi gold inlays.

Illuminations in the base of the coach doors cast a subtle light over the ground, echoing the same thin line pattern found throughout the car, rolling out an inviting 'carpet' of light. The front seats rotate 30 degrees outwards, making for easier ingress and egress.

A widescreen system has facilitated a reduction in the number of buttons in the interior and a clearer dashboard-wide display of information for driver and front passenger. The customizable screens enable the front passenger to see and control a range of functions, from infotainment to cabin lighting, as well as heating and ventilation.

The proliferation of displays, including the center of the widescreen rectangular steering wheel, gives the driver access to important information. There are digital displays linked to the rear-facing door-mounted cameras, to navigation and traffic systems and vehicle diagnostics.

The center console transitions from Bianco Carrara marble into a display surface at the base of the dashboard.

The steering wheel, pedals and driver displays maintain the all-important connection to driving, a feature which will remain common to all INFINITI vehicles for the foreseeable future. Yet, hinting at the full range of driver assist technologies that may one day be available, the steering wheel collapses into the dashboard and the pedals retract into the floor, releasing even more space should the driver wish to hand control over to the vehicle.

By contrast, the rear of the cabin is devoid of all technology, except for the QX Inspiration's lighting, a deliberate move by INFINITI's designers to create a relaxing, screen-free space.

The roof, finished in sugi, Japanese red cedar wood, further ties the cabin of the QX Inspiration concept to its natural roots. INFINITI's designers have left the knot and grain of the wood on display. Traditional in its design origins, the roof is modern in its structure and appearance. Beneath, the white suede floor adopts kintsugigold inlay between panels.