Nissan's Invitation Concept car

Nissan's next mainstream B-segment contender will be previewed at the upcoming Geneva Auto Show, in the form of the Invitation Concept. The sleek hatchback will hit showrooms in 2013.

No details yet but the car will have the obligatory "advanced engine technology", "class-leading levels of fuel efficiency and emissions", oh, and you'll be pleased to know that Nissan has deemed that all its versions will be eligible to wear its own "Pure Drive badge."

Among the technology firsts, at least on a B-segment car, is Nissan's advanced Around View Monitor (AVM) safety technology which makes reversing and parallel parking much easier - we've tried it and it really is useful, even for advanced drivers who have no trouble parallel parking anyway. It means a driver who normally has trouble squeezing a 10 foot car into a 30 foot parking space can suddenly judge distances better than a pro.

The INVITATION also includes Nissan's Safety Shield Technologies, which interacts with the driving environment keeping the driver aware of what is happening around the car.

The weird name? Well, according to Nissan's François Bancon, "The name we have given to this concept is self-explanatory."

"It is designed to be inviting thanks to its sensuous exterior design and generous and comfortable interior space, cleverly packaged within compact overall dimensions."