Nissan South Africa (SA) has launched two new light commercial vehicle platforms in the local market, with a range of derivatives to follow over the next few months.

The NV200 panel van is available with a petrol engine, with a diesel drivetrain to follow in August, says Nissan SA NV200 product manager Marinus Venter.

A seven-seater NV200 combi multipurpose vehicle, built on the same platform, is also available.

The NV200 platform serves as the official New York and London cab.

This is the first time Nissan enters the compact panel van segment in South Africa.

The NV200 panel van is imported from Spain, and has no similarity to the NP200 half-ton pick-up built at Nissan SA’s Rosslyn plant, near Pretoria.

‘NV’ stands for Nissan van, while ‘NP’ stands for Nissan pick-up.

Pricing for the NV200 panel van starts at R187 000.

The key differentiator between the NV range – large and small – and its competition, is that it offers the lowest cost of ownership per kilometre on the road, says Venter.

Fuel consumption on the NV200 panel van, for example, is 7.2 ℓ/100 km for the 1.6 ℓ petrol version, and 4.9 ℓ/100 km for the 1.5 ℓ turbocharged diesel derivative.

The NV200 is available in manual transmission only.

Inside, a 2.8-inch multi-information display screen provides information on fuel level, average fuel consumption, distance to empty, trip distance and average speed. Combined with a gear-shift indicator, the multi-information display also promotes economical driving habits.

There are 13 storage solutions inside the van, including door pockets, two large open cubby holes, smaller storage trays, a dash-top storage bin, four cup holders and a nifty storage drawer underneath the driver’s seat.

The back of the passenger seat also serves as a desk or tray when folded forward.

The panel van offers a cargo volume of 4.2 m3, with a low floor sill (520 mm) and wide distance between the wheel arches (1 220 mm).

The NV200 can swallow two Euro pallets, or almost 800 kg of cargo, thanks to the doors at the back which can open at 180 º.

The van also features two standard sliding doors on either side of the vehicle.

For extra-long items, such as a ladder, the vehicle’s front passenger seat can be folded forward and the metal partition swung open, providing space for cargo 2.8 m in length.

Standard equipment on the van includes remote central locking with an immobiliser, driver and passenger airbags, antilock brake system (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution, vehicle dynamic control, air conditioning, a full metal-mesh partition, tilt-adjustable steering, as well as two speakers and a roof-mounted antenna in a radio-ready setup.

“With the NV200, we are targeting small business owners and other entrepreneurs, such as plumbers and electricians,” notes Venter. “The NV200 can also be used as a delivery vehicle.”

He believes the NV200 combi will find favour with families, tour operators and shuttle companies.
Venter says Nissan SA hopes to sell 150 NV200 panel vans and combis a month.

The NV200 panel van comes standard with a three-year/ 100 000 km warranty. Service intervals for the petrol and diesel variants are at 15 000 km.

The NV350
The NV350 large panel van, imported from Japan, is already available in petrol and diesel versions, with a 16-seater minibus taxi version to follow in the first quarter of 2014, says NV350 product manager Tessa Cooke.

Local production of the taxi is not yet confirmed.

The new Nissan NV350 picks up where the old Nissan E20 left off back in 1995 – favouring Nissan with a healthy 45% market share.

“As Nissan, we wanted to grow our commercial vehicle product range to be more comprehensive,” says Cooke. “This product is really about our light commercial vehicle strategy and the fact that we want to compete in all segments of the markets. We believe we have the right product to re-enter the market now.”

Cooke says Nissan SA hopes to sell 50 to 60 NV350 panel vans a month.

The NV350 will compete with the likes of the Toyota Quantum and Ford Transit.

Cooke emphasises that Nissan SA will not endorse the conversion of the NV350 panel van into a minibus taxi.

The NV350 panel van is available in two body styles – narrow body with a low roof, and wide-body with a high roof, the latter offering 9.2 m3 of cargo space.

The narrow-body derivative is available with a 2.5-ℓ petrol engine and manual gearbox. Fuel economy is 11.8 ℓ/100 km.

The wide-body derivative is available with the same petrol engine, as well as a turbocharged 2.5 ℓ diesel engine and a five- speed manual gearbox. Fuel economy is 8.3 ℓ/100 km.

Inside, the vehicle offers a 10.6 ℓ glove box, an upper cubby hole, a large tray mounted atop the dashboard, as well as two pull-out cup holders.

A multifunctional information display shows information such as fuel range, average fuel economy and real-time fuel consumption, while it also has a shift indicator, which aids in promoting economi- cal driving.

Standard features across the NV350 panel van range include remote central locking with a panic alarm function, an immobiliser and alarm, electric windows, air conditioning, tilt adjustment for the steering wheel, two speakers, a pillar antenna in a radio-ready setup and four rope hook points.

The narrow-body and low-roof model features two sliding doors, while the wide-body model has one sliding door.

Safety equipment includes ABS with brake assist and a driver’s airbag.

Pricing for the NV350 panel van starts at R279 500.

All new Nissan NV350 panel van models are sold standard with a 3-year/100 000 km warranty and a 5-year/90 000 km service plan.

The service intervals for both petrol and diesel variants are at 15 000 km.