GENEVA — Nissan will introduce its new global compact commercial van, the NV200 at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show next week. The automaker emphasizes that the van was designed from the beginning for both commercial and people-carrier use.
The NV200 will be available in three versions: a space-optimizing cargo van, a Combi version that can carry both goods and people, and a more "plush" seven-passenger van model.
The front-wheel-drive van is built on a modified version of Nissan's B platform with a fully independent strut-type front suspension and a compact lightweight leaf-spring rear.
The NV200 has sliding side doors and a 78.8-inch-long load bay, with a maximum cargo volume of 144.7 cubic feet in the cargo version. It can hold two standard European-size pallets in the cargo area at once, Nissan says. The cargo NV200 has twin side-hinged doors at the back.
In the Combi version, Nissan says the seats are nonremovable, unlike competitors' brands, but the center and rear seats fold out of the way, avoiding the need to remove and store seating when the vehicle is used for cargo. The Combi is available with side-hinged doors, but it and the passenger version come standard with a top-hinged tailgate.
There are two engine choices: a 1.6-liter aluminum four-cylinder gasoline engine, as found in Nissan's Micra, Note and Qashqai, making 106 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque; and a Renault 1.5-liter diesel making 84 hp and 147 lb-ft. Both are mated to a five-speed transmission.
Interior storage includes clever touches such as a "secret" storage space in the upper glove box that can hide electronic equipment such as a camera or a mobile phone. An optional rear-view parking camera is called a first for a van in this market segment.
Nissan will put the NV200 on sale in Japan by summer, in Europe in the fall and then launch it in China and elsewhere.
Inside Line says: A global van for a world of uses. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent
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