Infiniti has announced further details of a major new sports car concept set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show.

The Nissan-owned brand revealed February 3 that the model will be called ‘Emerg-E’, promising a low-emission, high-performance and high-technology car, with several firsts — and a new design direction for the brand.

The concept will use a range extender drivetrain, meaning that it will contain an electric motor and a gas-powered generator, as opposed to Nissan’s proven 100 percent battery technology used by cars such as the Leaf.

It will also have the drivetrain mounted in a mid-ship package, between the two axles, which the firm says is a first and significantly helps the weight distribution to improve handling — a concept which could be transferred to future production models, assuming it tests well.

The first partial photos of the model appear to show a low-slung form, with a two-seater cockpit and a shape which appears to have been at least partially inspired by the Infiniti Essence concept, revealed at Geneva in 2009.

The Essence was designed to celebrate Infiniti’s 20th anniversary, and while there have been no noises from Nissan on whether the Emerg-E will hit production, the trend seems to indicate that Infiniti is working towards a very specific goal.