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 Nissan’s compact NV200 brings news levels of space, comfort and practicality to the small van market. It also delivers greater levels of versatility as the LCV model is just one of three distinctly different variations on the theme to be sold globally: joining the van is a functional Combi version, and they will be joined by a comfortable Family version in 2010.
“Europe’s small van market is extremely competitive. To succeed, a van needs to be compact on the outside but roomy inside with a design that’s both stylish and practical. It needs to be affordable to buy and have low operating costs. It must to be easy to drive and it needs to be flexible. NV200 is all those things, but sets new standards for interior space in such a compact body.”
Simon Thomas, Nissan’s European Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing
New from the ground up, the NV200 reinvents Nissan’s approach to this sector of the LCV market by setting new standards for interior cargo space, but packaged in extremely compact exterior dimensions.
Those compact exterior dimensions – 4.4m long, 1.86m, tall and 1.69m wide – coupled with agile driving dynamics and a tight turning circle make it ideal for the city. As a business tool NV200 benefits from Nissan’s enviable reputation as a trusted maker of successful commercial vehicles.
Built on a modified version of Nissan’s flexible B-platform, NV200 is designed to be agile around town, with a commanding driving position and good visibility. Despite its compact exterior dimensions, intelligent packaging delivers a cargo load bay more than 2m in length, sufficient to carry two standard Euro pallets at the same time. Thanks to a low floor, the load cube offers a cargo volume of 4.2m3, around 25 per cent greater than its key rivals, which equates to around 1m3.
Designed in Japan with an emphasis on class-leading quality and with key contributions from Nissan’s European R&D and design facilities, NV200 is a true global offering. In Europe it’s an innovative segment-busting vehicle straddling two market segments. It’s available both as a light commercial vehicle (LCV) and as a passenger car providing almost as much interior space as much larger LCVs in a package no bigger than rival car-derived vans (CDV).
 The Combi version of NV200 offers three rows of seats for passengers with outstanding leg and knee room, while even with all seven seats in use there’s still space for two large suitcases in the luggage area. Fold the two rear seats away and there’s enough space for five such suitcases. A more comfort orientated Family version will follow in 2010.
Practical touches include the availability of twin sliding side doors and, on the van version, a pair of side-hinged ‘French’ rear doors. The Combi is available with an estate-car style top-hinged tailgate.
Initial production for Europe will come from the Nissan Shatai plant in Japan, before production moves to the company’s plant in Barcelona at the end of 2009.
Power comes from either a 1.6-litre petrol unit with 81 kW/153Nm or a 1.5-litre diesel developing 63 kW/200 Nm. A higher output diesel engine will follow.
“Customers will appreciate the NV200 as a tool which supports them in their business. We believe it brings a new intelligence to the market,” says Simon Thomas, Nissan’s Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing in Europe. “Innovative packaging ideas have created a vehicle with a large cargo area despite a comparatively small footprint.
“The option of a Combi version further underlines NV200’s versatility. NV200 is totally in tune with customers’ needs,” adds Thomas.
The NV200 offers a single volume design that is both attractive, with a clear Nissan family ‘look’, and highly functional, showing that NV200 means business. Clever packaging helps to deliver the biggest cargo area in the class. And yet, overall, NV200 is more compact than its rivals, making it agile to drive and easier to park in crowded cities.
“NV200’s clever packaging has real customer benefits. It’s compact on the outside yet spacious within. Thanks to its huge cargo area, NV200 can accommodate two standard Euro pallets, a feat that is certain to appeal to business users. That same roomy interior will also ensure the passenger versions deliver everything a large family needs.”
Pierre Loing, Vice President, Product Planning for Nissan in Europe
Nissan’s designers have taken a straightforward approach to the look of NV200. By adopting simple yet elegant lines, they have produced a solid form construction which perfectly reflects the use to which the vehicle will be put.
The clean, functional design combines styling cues from existing Nissan passenger cars and commercial vehicles but adds a few unique features such as the dramatic upswept swage line framing the door glass. The line runs all the way around the front of the vehicle to create a dramatic sense of movement, even when NV200 is stationary, while the deep side windows provide enhanced visibility.
Both passenger versions have side windows extending virtually the full length of the vehicle, unencumbered by doorframes or body pillars to complete a pure uncluttered look. For much the same reason, door handles – which are body coloured on the Family model – are flush rather than proud of the bodywork. Windows on both sliding side doors can be opened for extra ventilation.
Matching the sculpted upswept line on the front doors is a deep crease on the sliding rear side door which, in turn, blends into the guiding rail on the rearmost side panel.
At the front, NV200 has been given its own unique look with a new interpretation of the Nissan grille – featuring chrome elements on the Family version – which flows into the slimline wraparound headlights. Depending on the model, the front bumper assembly is either black on the van or optionally body coloured on the Combi.
At the rear, the LCV model has practical side-hinged ‘French’ doors split on a 70/30 basis, while both the Combi and Family versions have a top-hinged one-piece tailgate. French doors are available as an option on the Combi.
 Close attention has been paid to ensuring the highest levels of build tolerances so that NV200 has tight shut lines and the tiny panel gaps expected from a high quality passenger car rather than a commercial vehicle. The result is an elegant simplicity of form, yet unmistakably ‘Nissan’.
The spacious interior of NV200 comes despite the vehicle’s overall measurements. NV200 is more compact in every dimension than its immediate rivals – l x h x w: 4.4m x 1.86m x 1.69m – yet intelligent packaging means there is more space inside the cargo bay.
The cargo floor is 1.22m wide at its narrowest point – between the wheel arches – and an impressive 2.04m long.
Even this figure can be extended. Swivelling the optional load bay partition out of the way and folding the front passenger seat flat allows a load of up to 2.8m in length to be carried inside the vehicle. NV200 also has the lowest loading height in its class, just 524mm from ground level, and the class leading rear aperture to ease loading and unloading.
In total, there’s a potential 4.2m3 of cargo volume in the back of the van, around 25% more than its closest rivals, which equates to about 1m3. NV200’s maximum payload is 783kg.
All this space translates into the most practical cargo area in its class. The combination of a wide and long floor means not one but two standard Euro pallets can be carried by NV200.
This vast interior space has been achieved in a number of ways, most notably the higher driving position and the layout of the rear suspension, maximising the available load space.
The fuel tank is placed underneath the front passenger seat with the fuel filler itself located on the B pillar behind the right hand side front door. The compact rear suspension uses wide single leaf springs to provide the strength needed for a light commercial vehicle, but not a the expense of ride comfort and at the same time permitting a clear and wide load bay.
The van has six floor-mounted load hooks, three on either side of the load bay, and an optional fully adjustable hook rail which can be fitted beneath the rear side window/panel.
The cockpit area is equally spacious with a high seating position for a commanding driving position, which combines with NV200’s natural agility meaning in-town manoeuvres in town are as painless as possible, while shoulder room is a match for all its rivals despite the narrower body.
Ample storage space is an integral feature of the interior, with many oddment and document trays, door pockets, coin and card holders, cup and bottle holders and convenience hooks. A secret storage space within in the upper portion of the glovebox is large enough to hold a camera, mobile phone or important documents. There’s also a large underseat storage area while the folding passenger seat back incorporates a moulded dished tray large enough for a laptop computer.
The instrument panel is finished in contrasting shades top and bottom and is dominated by a central section housing from the top, the in-car entertainment system, followed by the heating and ventilation controls and finished by the ‘joystick’ gearlever which extends not from the floor but from the middle of the dash.
Just one instrument faces the driver – the speedometer – but this also incorporates a digital tachometer as part of a comprehensive on-board display. This gives the driver a vital array of information including a clock, drive computer, trip and overall odometers and a shift-up display, which can be set by the driver to improve economy.
The computer can also be programmed to advise on service intervals, speed limit warning and even tyre rotation requirements, with clear benefits for owners.
Thanks to its ample interior dimensions, the Combi version of NV200 has enough space to carry up to seven people in comfort with three in the middle row and two in the folding third row.
The centre row has a 60/40 split to increase versatility and the entire assembly folds and then tumbles forward to be stored against the rear of the front seats when extra space is needed (and to ease access to the 3rd row when fitted). The twin rear seats, meanwhile, fold individually and are stored against the sides of the rear compartment. None of the seats need be removed from the vehicle to increase load space. This means they are always with the vehicle when needed… not stored somewhere else entirely. With the 2nd and 3rd row folded, the cargo volume is kept close to 3m3 (2,94m3)
 With all the seats in place, the luggage area behind the third row is sufficient to hold two large suitcases, while five large suitcases can be loaded when these seats are folded away. When all the passenger seats are folded, the load area is large enough to hold three mountain bikes which can be carried without the need to remove their front wheels.
Both second and third rows of seats can be reclined up to 45 degrees – the front pair recline up to 68 degrees – and all seven seats have three point safety belts.
Both versions benefit from rear heating ducts beneath the front seats while a three speed cooling system for the rear compartment is available as an option, a unique feature in the segment.
Commercial vehicles tend to have basic levels of equipment. But NV200 is different. Occupant comfort is a priority while the availability of a number of unusual extras – including the Intelligent Key and a rear-view camera – lifts NV200 above its rivals.
“Delivery drivers spend much of their day manoeuvring their vehicles into tight parking bays. We have not only provided the option of a rear view parking camera to ease this operation but made it as affordable as possible.”
Pierre Loing, Nissan’s European Vice President of Product Planning
NV200’s strong passenger car heritage is reflected in its car-like cockpit and its long list of innovative standard and optional features.
As befits a vehicle designed primarily for carrying equipment and/or people, the cockpit has been carefully designed to include as much oddment storage space as possible. The cabin abounds with clever touches, such as card holders on the backs of the sun visors; coin trays within the centre console storage area; and a convenience hook for hanging goods. The door pockets are large enough to hold two A4-sized map books, while a secret compartment within the glovebox can house valuables – cameras or mobile phones for example – out of sight.
Although there is just one instrument ahead of the driver, within the display is one of the most comprehensive trip computers available anywhere. As well as the more usual pieces of information – fuel consumption, service intervals, mileage displays and so on – the computer can be programmed by the driver to provide a helpful shift up display.
The display area also houses a small screen for the optional rear-view camera. Nissan led the way with the introduction of parking cameras on its range more than a decade ago and is now available on Pathfinder, X-TRAIL, Qashqai and Murano models.
Its availability on NV200 marks the first time a parking camera has been a featured on a light commercial vehicle. Given that LCVs spend much of their time manoeuvring into and out of tight parking spaces, the camera – which is housed in the back door finisher – is expected to be a popular option, considering that even light damage sustained during parking manoeuvres can mean unwanted time off the road and expense for owners and operators.
 By incorporating the full colour rear-view screen in the instrument binnacle rather than as part of a satellite navigation display makes the rear-view camera a more affordable option.
Another car-like feature optionally available on NV200 is the Nissan Intelligent Key. Designed to be simple and convenient, the vehicle can be locked, unlocked and started without the key ever needing to be touched. Providing its presence is detected by sensors, the key can be left in a pocket or bag and the doors opened just by pressing a discreet button near the handle. If the key is inadvertently left inside the vehicle, sensors detect its presence and automatically prevent the doors from being locked.
Standard safety equipment includes a driver airbag, with a passenger airbag available either as standard or as an option depending on the model. When the passenger airbag is not fitted, its housing on top of the dashboard provides yet more storage space. Side airbags for occupants in the front are also optionally available.
Anti-lock brakes are standard and also feature Brake Assist (BA) and electronic brakeforce distribution. ESP is available as an option.
Occupant comfort is taken seriously with a powerful heating and ventilation system which incorporates ducts to the passenger area to provide hot or cool air circulation in the rear. The Family model has, in addition, the option of an independent three speed fan in the rearmost compartment, unique feature among its competitors.
Electric front windows, complete with a one-touch operation of the driver’s side, are either standard or optional depending on the model, while passenger versions have sliding glass in the side doors to aid ventilation
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Other options include adjustable cargo-fixing points on the side of the van’s load bay and PVC floor coverings for the van and Combi designed to protect the vehicle’s floor against damage. Both load-carrying versions have luggage hooks in the floor of the load bay: six for the van and four for the Combi. Steel wheels either with black centre caps or full wheel covers are standard, though an attractive six double-spoke alloy is optional.
A full range of in-car entertainment is available – again either as standard or optionally according to the model – with a double DIN RDS display with integrated CD player and AUX-in facility for MP3 players. All versions have a pair of 6.5 inch loudspeakers mounted in the front doors, with two further speakers mounted in the rearmost section of the vehicle either as an option or as standard on passenger versions.
Family Version
Sales of Nissan’s NV200 will begin with the Van and Combi versions, but will be followed in 2010 by the introduction of the Family version.
The Family version configuration of NV200 will be aimed at customers looking for a family vehicle which combines a spacious interior with compact dimensions. Where Combi is equipped with folding seats to accommodate occasional passengers as part of its role as a vehicle used day-to-day for small businesses, the Family version offers added refinements and comfort-orientated life on board.
The exterior of the Family version is fully body coloured, including the door mirrors, which are not painted on the Combi, while the Family version is also fully glazed, where the Combi can be specified with partial glazing.
In the cabin, the floor is carpeted while the interior panels are trimmed to add passenger car levels of refinement and quality.
Additionally, the rear seats are upholstered in thicker cushions, with a more contoured profile for increased comfort and the seat mountings are hidden by moulded plastic covers The third row of folding seats is optional for families who need the extra convenience of additional passenger capacity.
The Family version also includes grab handles, additional interior lighting, an extra 12v socket located in the rear for 2nd row passengers, under seat and door mounted storage areas and seat back tables.
As with the other configurations, the Family version will also be available with innovative features normally found on passenger cars, such as the rear view camera, drive computer and class-leading storage, as well as sure-footed agility thanks to its B-Platform underpinnings.
Sales of NV200 will being in Europe in Spring 2010.
A commercial vehicle is primarily a working tool. It needs to be affordable to buy but, perhaps more importantly, cheap to run too. It needs to be reliable and if it gets damaged, needs to be quick and easy to repair to reduce down time. NV200 has been designed with all those parameters in mind.
“NV200 is not only superbly practical to run, it has been designed from the outset to be one of the most economical vehicles in its class. That’s not just at the fuel pumps, but in all aspects of everyday use.”
Sergio Alcaraz, Vice President, Nissan’s European LCV Business Unit
Overall cost of ownership is the single most important element for many van fleet operators. NV200 has been designed to keep operating costs as low as possible both in terms of day to day running and by reducing down time to a minimum.
Both engine/drivetrain options are among the most economical in their class and return superior fuel economy figures. This potential is underlined in the cabin by the inclusion of a number of driver aids designed to promote economical driving. As well as a shift up indicator, the dashboard display shows average and real time fuel economy figures to encourage a light right foot.
Fuel economy is also helped by NV200’s aerodynamically efficient shape and by its light-weight construction. Low rolling resistance tyres also play their part.
Service intervals on diesel engines are now only every 20,000kms or every 12 months whichever comes first.
Ease of repair after an accident has two benefits: lower insurance premiums and less down time in the body shop. With high energy absorbing potential, the front bumper has been designed to withstand substantial parking knocks while a sturdy cross member ahead of the cooling system offers extra protection against radiator damage, one of the most vulnerable areas in the typical front to rear city accident.
Front side members and the rearmost cross member also contribute greatly to the strength and integrity of the vehicle, not only making it safer for occupants, but also less likely to suffer serious damage in a minor accident.
Given the NV200’s spaciousness, agility, flexibility and ease of use in both Van and Combi configurations, customers will find it is well adapted to their everyday needs.
“In recognition of the huge variety of different roles that NV200 can play in the lives of its owners and drivers, and to give those customers the means to further tailor the car to their specific needs, a vast array of Nissan parts and accessories has been developed specifically for NV200.”
Laurent L’Epine, Nissan’s European Vice President of Aftersales
To protect the interior of NV200, a range of durable plastic panels have been developed to cover the wheel arches, rear interior panels, sliding side door, rear doors and as an anti-sliding floor surface. The protection panels have been developed to combine durability with light weight, as well as minimising the intrustion around the rear wheel arches, which would compromise the NV200’s load space. Plus, the advantage of the plastic protection is that weight penalty has virtually no impact on the load carrying capacity of the van, whereas the traditional wood protection panels are heavy and intrude on the load space.
Additional protection for the interior is available for the seats, preserving the state of the interior from marks, stains or light damage which is always a hazard in a hard-working vehicle.
Supplementary exterior protection accessories are also available, with moulded corner protectors for the front and rear, side body mouldings, rear door cladding, side bars, wind deflectors, mud guards and that even extends to front and rear parking sensors.
For added utility, a load carrier steel (2 or 3 bars) and aluminium luggage rack have been developed for NV200, with a load capacity of 100kg, while a 1100 kg towbar can also be specified.
For security, door grills, locking wheel nuts and an alarm kit are all available for NV200, ensuring valuable goods or tools can be locked away safely without having to unload them at the end of everyday. A safety kit, consisting of an high-visibility jacket, battery jump leads and warning reflective triangle is also available.
Interior practicality can also be enhanced by thanks to an innovate storage cargo net that can be hung in 5 different positions using the securing hooks.
Comfort and convenience in the cabin can be enhanced with the addition of a mobile phone holder which fits into one of the numerous cup holders, interior bins to help to keep the interior tidy, a rear centre armrest which also doubles as a useful additional storage area, ideal for electronic games, music players and toys.
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