Nissan's joint venture in China with Dongfeng has spawned a passenger vehicle division called Venucia. Followed up on the Leaf-based E30 electric car that debuted in November, the Viwa concept unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show hints at its direction for its second production EV. Although no specs were released, the company claims the production version will be easy to drive, environmentally sound, come packed with advance EV tech, and possess a sufficient driving range for the average Chinese buyer.

Visually it shares similar traits with the Chevrolet Spark, Toyota iQ and Nissan Leaf, and could well be showcasing some intended upgrades for the Chinese-market Leaf. Sub-brand Venucia aims to have a five-model lineup by 2015, which for now consists of the D50 sedan, R50 hatchback and the upcoming e30 EV.