Cabstar gains new cab
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• The long-awaited revised Nissan Cabstar is now available sporting a completely new cab— albeit on the existing chassis The cabin exterior is rounded, in keeping with Nissan's current design image, but the interior styling remains dated: certainly not up to the standards of the company's car range.
The revised Cabstar is still competitively priced, with the chassis-cab costing 19,460 (exVAT) and the pickup £9,900 —approximately 4% higher than last year's figures.
The most substantial change has been the adoption of torsion bars for the front double wishbone suspension, rather than coil springs. A leaf-sprung live axle remains at the rear. Sixteen-inch wheels replace the former fifteeninchers, and power steering now comes as standard.
While the wheelbase, track and loadbed dimensions remain the same, the new model is slightly more compact: the dropside pickup version is 95mm shorter and 65mm narrower than before. Nissan has not appointed an official converter for tipper versions of the pickup, but such modifications should be as straightforward as before.
The latest model offers a pay
load of 1,645kg in pickup form (including a 75kg driver), 40kg less than before: kerb weight of the pickup version increases by 70kg to 1,680kg, while GVW is up to 3,400kg.
The chassis-cab has the same GVW, and a kerb weight of 1,450kg.
While the 2.5-litre, 55kW (75hp) diesel engine remains unchanged, the two-litre petrol version has been dropped. Oil change intervals for the diesel remain at a low 4,800Iun (3,000 On a brief trial around the Cotswolds, the Cabstar proved pleasant to drive, with good visibility low noise levels and a reasonable ride, even unladen. The power steering felt positive, and the tilting steering column allowed a generally comfortable, upright driving position with plenty of headroom—although long-legged drivers may find their knees hitting the dashboard.
Nissan's related panel van, the Urvan, has had no facelift, and keeps the petrol option, although the smaller Vanette will soon undergo cosmetic changes.