Nissan’s Self-Driving Hyper Tourer Concept Is Not Your Parents’ Minivan

Nissan is really thinking outside the box with its latest concept.

The Japanese automaker has just unveiled a luxury minivan prototype called the Hyper Tourer that it is bringing to this year’s Japan Mobility Show. The EV has a daring design unlike anything we’ve ever seen from the brand and can also drive itself.

Minivans may no longer be as popular as they were during their 1980s and ‘90s heyday, but Nissan believes there is still a place for them. Of course, it helps that the Hyper Tourer looks nothing like the rather generic Honda Odysseys or Toyota Siennas on the road today. Instead, it sports a dramatic design that pairs a sculpted metallic lower half with a wedge-shaped glass upper. It’s equipped with sliding doors, but instead of having just one per side, it has two that slide apart to reveal the cavernous interior. It’s surprisingly attractive and does not look at all like the kind of vehicle you’d expect to see pulling up to a suburban school.

The EV’s luxury interior might be even more futuristic as the exterior. The cabin—the design of which was inspired by the Japanese concept of hospitality, omotenashi—is outfitted with four fully reclining, captain-style leather chairs. The front pair each rotate 360 degrees in case you want to have a conversation with the back row when the vehicle is operating autonomously, according to the automaker. Other forward-thinking features of the interior include an overhead console that projects kumiko and koushi patterns, as well a flat LED panel in the floor that displays images of a riverbed and the sky. The space also has an AI system that measures passengers’ biometric signs and adjusts the music and lighting to create a more peaceful environment.

Since the vehicle is just a concept, little is known about its mechanical hardware at this point. In addition to being able to drive itself, the van comes with e-4ORCE all-wheel drive to help ensure the smoothest ride possible. The EV also features a high-capacity battery with a V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) technology that will let you use it to power your home or office if necessary.

It’s unclear if Nissan has any plans to build the Hyper Tourer or if the concept is just a technical showcase. Of course, if Lexus’s new LM model shows that there’s a market for luxury minivans, we wouldn’t be entirely surprised to see it eventually go into production.

Click here for more photos of the Nissan Hyper Tourer concept.