Nissan Taps New SUV Design for Young Urbanites

Imagine a black-and-gray camouflage-style pattern of rhinoceroses, skulls and dice incorporated in a sport utility vehicle. Captivating and exotic, isn't it? This concept of an SUV, which is one of Ecko's 2 concepts, will not be available in the industry though. Nonetheless, New York fashion designer and graffiti artist Marc Ecko made customized versions of Nissan SUVs with a more captivating look and price tag.

The 2 concept SUVs with Ecko's exotic design were showcased in Nashville. However, they were already displayed at several auto events across the country after it debuted in New York last October. Ecko's Pathfinder is given a custom black-and-gray paint that camouflages his signature rhino logo and skulls and dice meant to mirror toughness and the "gambles people take in life. The skull is today’s happy face," said Ecko.

"I think our brand embodies a youthful energy, excitement," Ecko further added. "We’re emblematic of what’s going on in popular culture. It was a good tidy fit (with Nissan) for sure. If these were ever to be brought to consumers, obviously we’d have to make some adaptations to make it more production-assembly friendly."

The new rhythmic design trend of the automaker is applied to blend Nissan auto body parts of Pathfinder and Armada SUVs. It is expected to astound the auto industry in the near future. Critics in the industry are saying that Nissan is following the footsteps of auto giants like Ford and Subaru.

It can be recalled that advance auto parts Ford and Subaru auto parts new have been collaborated with apparel retailers like Eddie Bauer and L.L. Bean to deliver stunning customized vehicles. Nissan also resorted to the ongoing trend to capture young urbanites. These individuals settle for stylish, edgy and high-performance drive. "We’re trying to show urban consumers that Nissan thinks outside the box, the idea that design can come from outside the car world too," said Terri Hines, a spokeswoman for Nissan.

Tom Libby, an automotive analyst with JD Power and Associates, said the average age of the Nissan buyer is 42, four years below the national average age over all brands. Nissan buyers are also younger than those of other major Japanese automakers Toyota and Honda. "They’re (Nissan) trying to link their product with a brand that appeals to a niche or consumer they want to appeal to," Libby said. "It (Ecko design) might appeal to the younger buyer. That’s certainly something Nissan does well with and wants to continue doing well with."