Datsun XLink Concept Design Exercise

Are we seeing the first of its kind, a concept destined to become the first Datsun-badged car since 1986? Could very well be. This is called XLink, a coupé SUV-sort of vehicle designed by a student named Benjamin Nawka, a former Volkswagen design intern, at Nissan Yulon Design Center as his final thesis project. It’s a concept that features adjustable suspension, four doors for four passengers and a two-mode diesel hybrid. As a world car it is supposed to drive in a number of different surfaces, including very bad roads, hence the adjustable legs. A nice futuristic feature in the XLink is something called XLINK Experience communication system which connects “XLinkers” with each other for the purposes of sharing a vehicle or a ride.

The aim of the project was to investigate the possible reintroduction of the Datsun brand as a vehicle – pun intended – to carry certain sporting and technological aspirations of parent Nissan, outside of Infiniti and the mother brand itself. Datsun was quite famous for its Fairlady or 240Z coupés which were quite sporty during their heydays. How serious is Nissan about a future Datsun brand? Sweet concept overall, but truly, why resurrect dead Datsun? To compete with MINI and Scion?