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its LCV ambitions
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In September, Nissan will officially unveil its NV200. Keen to ensure CM readers get the scoop first, we took a peek at the new machine in its final pre-production form...
Words: Andy Satter
Following an exclusive preview of Nissan's new van in a secretive corner of the company's London styling centre a couple of years ago, CM has watched the manufacturer's CV strategy unfold with interest.
Back then, Nissan's global LCV boss explained the company was 'dumping' (our words, not his) its use of a badge-engineered product from sister company Renault — Nissan had been selling re-badged versions of the Kangoo,Trafic and Master vans to prop up its ailing LCV market share — and going it alone with a Nissan-designed product. Sure, there would be synergies on the use of technology, but, basically, this would be a new van with Nissan DNA, which would spearhead the company's assault on the global LCV market.
Back then, the design prototype we saw was a bit wild and wacky, hut the basics were evident enough to indicate a focus on customer requirements that would stand the firm in good stead as it fought for space in the market Fast-forward three years and we doubt many in Nissan's product planning department would have forecast the economic storm that has blasted a hole in the LCV sector and stunted market growth.
Nissan remains stoical, however, despite the unfortunate market position and is predicting significant market growth for the van sector once the storm has subsided.
The race is well and truly on to get its product launched and established in order to ensure it can take advantage of market rises when the economies pick up.
So, what weapon does it have in store? Enter the NV200, a purpose-designed, brand-new van. Nissan reckons it is a segment breaker, and that it will be attractive to the buyer who is currently wooed by vans in the car-derived van sector, such as the Citroen Berlingo and Renault Kangoo, while also offering a lighter weight, more manoeuvrable option for those currently buying vehicles in the Fiat ScudorlOyota Hiace class On the face of it, Nissan appears to have got it about right. The compact dimensions of the van 4,400mm overall length, 1,840mm height and 1,700mm width ensure it can tackle the small van sector, while the elevated driving position and impressive loadspace indicate it should be a match for the Scudo, although payload will not be a strong point in that battle.
Fully loaded
The engineers have focused strongly on the loadspace area and arc proud of the fact the van can swallow up two Europallets, loaded through the rear doors with ease. Minimal wheelarch intrusion, made possible by the use of 14-inch wheels and rear leaf-springs, ensure a 1,200mm loadspace between the arches, while the cargo floor is just 520mm from the ground for easy loading. The internal height is 1,320mm, and with the front scat folded fiat, there's 2,800mm of load length at your disposal. However, with a full-width bulkhead, this is restricted to 2,200mm at the floor. Load lashing points are recessed into the body floor, and while the door-locking arrangement looks a little ungainly, build quality appears robust enough to withstand the rigours of rental duty.
External styling is attractive, with sleek lines running the length of the van indicating decent aerodynamics. Nissan reckons the NV200 has the drop on Renault's Kangoo on this front.
We'd have liked to have seen side body strips included to protect the side panels against wear and tear, and while the bumper is the first contact point at the rear should a driver reverse into a wall, we reckon the rear light cluster is a bit exposed to damage, protruding outside the body line.
Power comes from a choice of 1.5-litre diesel an engine well used by the Nissan-Renault Alliance offering 85hp (63kW), or a 1.6-litre petrol engine booting out 106hp (79kW). A higher-powered 105hp (78kW) diesel motor will join the family next September for Euro-5 compliance. These engines deliver their drive to the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission there's no auto available yet and braking is by discs front, drums rear. According to the stats, the diesel-powered NV200 offers a combined economy figure of 5.21it/100km (54mpg) and a CO, rating of 137g/km, ensuring you'll save on fuel and road tax.
While the engineers have focused on the rear loadspace, they've not overlooked the cockpit area.The driver benefits from a higher driving position than we're used to, which gives a good view of the road and facilitates a decent storage drawer under the driver's seat. This is one of umpteen storage options around the van, with useful cubbies, bins and cupholders dotted around the cabin.
The modem interior design is let down a little by the use of cheap grain-effect black plastic-clearly the accountants have ensured the designers have been kept in check although the fit and finish is good and the controls are all within reach and appear durable.