Datsun XLink Concept: The Datto Comeback?

Motoring Channel Staff - 31/July/2008

Sanyi, Taiwan — This is the first Datsun-badged vehicle since the mid 1980s, and has put the rumour mill into overdrive.

Is Nissan planning a Datsun revival?

Though it's only a concept car at this stage, the Datsun XLink Concept is getting a lot of positive media coverage.

A product of Nissan's relatively new design centre in Taiwan, part owned by Nissan's manufacturing partner Yulon, the XLink concept car is designed to be able to tackle all types of road.

The adjustable suspension, not unlike systems seem on vehicles Volkswagen's R50, allows the crossover vehicle to easily deal with everything from pristine hot mix roads, such as those found in the Swiss alps, to completely rutted and crumbling roads sometimes encountered in Brazil.

The 4-door vehicle has seating for four passengers and XLink name comes from the Datsun's potential ability to connect owners of other vehicles.

The XLink communication system allows one driver to talk to another driver of a Datsun XLink, who could potentially form roving gangs of angry XLink owners intent on making their voices heard.

We're not sure why drivers would want to talk to other owners of the same vehicle - which could lead to all sorts of privacy ramifications - but the idea is an interesting one that long distance truck drivers could relate to.

The vehicle is powered by a dual mode diesel hybrid engine, no doubt borrowing technology currently under development at sister company Renault in France.

Design wise, and the vehicle is neither here nor there, with strange quasi-spoilers over the front and rear quarter panels.

It could almost pass as a sports coupe, but its dimensions are such that it has the image of a crossover.

If the new Datsun XLink Concept ignites the imagination of Nissan's top brass, as it has done with many drivers across the globe already, we could see the Datsun brand revived.

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