New Nissan NV200 and NV350 Panel Vans Shake Up LCV Market

2013/06/19

• NV200 Panel Van – a new-generation small van offering outstanding cargo space, compact body and low cost of ownership
• NV350 Panel Van encompasses smart business solutions with efficient running costs
• NV200 Combi and NV350 Taxi variants to follow

ROSSLYN, South Africa– Nissan has launched two brand new Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) to the South African market, expanding the brand's broad LCV range to match all commercial needs.

The new Nissan NV Panel Vans join the already comprehensive Nissan LCV line-up, which includes the NP200 half-ton bakkie, the NP300 Hardbody one-ton bakkie, the rugged Navara and the tried-and-trusted Patrol Pickup.

Compact in size, the new Nissan Panel Vans are a particularly viable proposal, especially where fleet buyers require something with the added security and load capacity offered by a van. Simply put, Nissan South Africa now offers the most comprehensive light commercial vehicle line-up in South Africa, for any business needs – from plumbing, electrician services and furniture delivery, to florist and courier services or satellite TV installation.

Freddie Louw, Chief Marketing Manager for the LCV Business Unit at Nissan South Africa, commented: "We are confident that the new NV Panel Van range will prove successful for Nissan in South Africa, where our existing LCV models like the NP200 and NP300 Hardbody bakkies are the darlings of the light commercial vehicle sector."

NV200 Panel Van: spacious and smart

The all-new Nissan NV200 Panel Van joins the already comprehensive Nissan LCV line-up in South Africa with a fresh new take on the compact Panel Van segment – the first time Nissan has entered into the compact panel van segment in South Africa.

A vivacious design, clever packaging, good specification levels and inherent Nissan reliability all contribute to the new NV200 Panel Van's role as an attractive new option for LCV customers. With the choice of two engines available, a low cost of ownership and an excellent loading capacity, the new NV200 further extends Nissan's LCV reach and coverage, providing an innovative business solution to fleet operators and entrepreneurs especially.

Design

Clean, modern and solid – the new Nissan NV200 Panel Van's smart exterior styling not only sets it apart from the competition with a fresh appearance, but its functional and efficient nature aids in reducing running costs as well. The unique front design introduces the rest of the NV200 with verve, where angular lines and sharp curves dictate its innovation with a spirited look while still maintaining functionality and class. The clean and solid construction is enhanced by the new NV200 Panel Van's wide range of colours, including white, silver, grey, black and red.

With low cost of ownership being one of the NV200 Panel Van's strongest attributes, clever design elements such as the front bumper, have been developed: an efficient energy absorption design ensures that impact energy is dissipated away from the main chassis structure, complemented by optimised packaging to protect the cooling system in the event of an accident, thereby reducing repair costs.  The new NV200 Panel Van triumphs with low service- and parts costs for the consumer, bolstered by excellent fuel economy figures for the different variants – 7.2-litres per 100 km for the petrol version and as low as 4.9-litres per 100 km for the diesel.

The new NV200 Panel Van's roomy interior continues the exterior design's smart theme, incorporating angular surfaces, solid-feeling textures and a stress-free design for the driver and front passenger. The NV200 Panel Van's interior is a welcoming environment, where good ergonomics and a quality build highlight the driving experience. The high-mounted gear lever allows for the floor area to be opened up, as well as improve ergonomics for the driver, whereby the gear lever is within close proximity to the steering wheel for a relaxed driving style.

Housed within the instrument binnacle, a 2.8-inch multi-information display screen imparts important information to the driver, including fuel level, average fuel consumption, instantaneous consumption, distance to empty, trip distance and average speed. Combined with a gear-shift indicator, the multi-info display aids in promoting economical driving habits.

Durable cloth upholstery also contributes to enhanced comfort levels, while still providing a hard-wearing environment which can cope with even the most demanding situations. Storage solutions are provided in the form of large door pockets, two large unlidded cubby holes, smaller storage trays, a dash-top storage bin as well as four cup holders. The driver's seat also features a nifty storage drawer, and the back of the passenger seat serves as a sturdy surface or tray area when folded forward – forming part of a total of thirteen different storage spots within the cabin.

The all-new Nissan NV200 Panel Van enters the market with much to shout about, thanks to several class-leading attributes in the load department. With a total cargo volume of 4.2 cubic metres, the NV200 Panel Van offers considerably more cargo space than its rivals, with a low floor sill (520 mm) and wide distance between the wheel arches (1 220 mm) also placing it top of the class. The new Nissan NV200 Panel Van can easily swallow two Euro pallets, or almost 800 kg of cargo thanks to its wide-opening doors and a hinge design which does not impede on load bay accessibility. 

Furthermore, the NV200 Panel Van features two standard sliding doors on either side of the vehicle, which aid in easier and more practical loading and offloading, as well as easier access to the carried goods.  For extra-long items such as a ladder, the NV200 Panel Van allows for its front passenger seat to be folded forward and its foldable metal partition to be swung open, presenting a massive 2.8-metres of loading length – yet another class-leading attribute.

Power trains

With the choice of two power trains, the new Nissan NV200 Panel Van caters for various LCV needs, with low cost of ownership linked strongly to both engine derivatives. The new NV200 1.6i Visia features a normally-aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine, which produces 81 kW at 6 000 rpm and 153 Nm at 4 400 rpm. Mated to a five-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive, the NV200 1.6i Visia returns an average fuel economy figure of 7.2-litres per 100 km while producing just 166 g/km of CO2. Featuring the same transmission, the new turbocharged diesel NV200 1.5 dCi Visia brings with it exceptional fuel economy figures – just 4.9-litres per 100 km and 129 g/km CO2 – while still offering good power and excellent torque (66 Kw at 4 000 rpm and 200 Nm at just 1 750 rpm).

Equipment

In true Nissan fashion, the new NV200 Panel Van enters the market with a good level of standard specification, adding to the large value for money aspect of both drivetrains. Standard equipment on both models includes stylish 14-inch wheel covers, remote central locking with an immobiliser, air conditioning, a full metal mesh partition, French-style rear doors, two sliding doors on either side of the vehicle, tilt-adjustable steering, two speakers and a roof-mounted antenna in a radio-ready setup, as well as a full-size spare wheel.

Standard safety equipment is also broad, the new NV200 Panel Van featuring driver and passenger airbags, ABS with EBD and VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) as well as a driver's seatbelt warning buzzer.

All new Nissan NV200 Panel Van models come standard with a 3-year/ 100 000 km warranty. Service intervals for both petrol and diesel variants are 15 000 km. The new Nissan NV200 Panel Van range will also be complemented by the new NV200 Combi variants, later this year.

NV350 Panel Van: encompassing smart business solutions with efficient running costs

The new Nissan NV350 Panel Van is Nissan's answer to any large commercial needs, where large objects or vast loads need to be transported. Thanks to the new NV350's smart and modern exterior design, delivering, transferring or collecting goods is now a classy affair. The NV350 Panel Van, which is available in two body styles and with the choice of two engines, enters its sparsely-populated segment with guns ablaze, and for good reason.

Satisfying the ever-growing commercial vehicle market, the new Nissan NV350 picks up where the old Nissan E20 left off back in 1995 – which then favoured Nissan with a massive 45% market share.

Design

The confident and refreshing styling of the new Nissan NV350 is the first facet in setting it apart from the competition – a broad plane surface expresses the NV350's modernity with rich surface expressions and a clean design overall. The front end imparts a strong, bold and individualistic design with a rounded, characterful waistline forming at the base of the windscreen and progressing down the flanks. The squared-off but characterful rear of the NV350 alludes to its load carrying capacity, the smart vertical tail lights with their crystal design also instilling confidence and further accentuating the NV350's character lines. The new Nissan NV350 is available in five standard colours – white, silver, black and gunmetal grey – as well as an unique and striking dark brown.

The roomy interior features a spacious design with special attention paid to key areas including driver's knee room, head room and ease of ingress. Ergonomics featured as a key focus during NV350 development and the result is a comfortable and ergonomically sound interior, where the driver and passengers will enjoy the ride comfort with ease.

The two-tone robust dashboard features numerous smart storage solutions, including a large 10.6-litre glove box, a capacious upper cubby hole, various smaller storage shelves within easy reach of the driver as well as a large tray mounted atop the dashboard and two pull-out cup holders. The instrument binnacle houses the usual array of analogue dials, as well as a classy 3.5-inch LCD display screen where the fuel and temperature gauges flank the full multi-functional information display, which includes two trip meters, fuel range, average fuel economy, real-time fuel consumption and a shift indicator, which aids in promoting economical driving.

Available exclusively as Narrow Body with a low roof and Wide Body, high roof Panel Vans initially, the new Nissan NV350 Panel Vans feature exceptionally capacious load areas, where clever interior design and loading facilities have ensured maximisation of the load area. The new Nissan NV350 Wide Body features a high roof, offering 9.2 cubic metres of load volume, with 3 250 mm of length and 1 645 mm of height allowing for long and tall objects to be loaded with absolute ease. This range-topping version also features a large tailgate, which creates a 1 555 mm-wide and 1 560 mm-high opening, the load sill sitting just 625 mm from the ground for easy access and loading as well.

Power trains

Petrol or diesel power – the NV350 Panel Van comes with the choice of either fuel supply to suit the needs of any commercial owner, whether private or fleet. The new NV350 2.5-litre Narrow Body with low roof and Wide Body with high roof  petrol models offer decent power (108 kW at 5 600 rpm) and torque (213 Nm at 4 400 rpm) and feature a five-speed manual gearbox. Fuel economy on the Narrow Body's average combined cycle is 11.8-litres per 100 km and carbon emissions are 282 g/km (12.5-litres per 100 km and 300 g/km for the Wide Body). Fuel economy is improved with the assistance of low voltage control of the alternator, whereby battery charge is monitored and the alternator's voltage adjusted to curb over-charging the battery, thereby reducing load on the engine and lowering fuel consumption. Improved timing chain operation thanks to low-friction materials also aids in reducing consumption, as does the petrol engine's low idle speed of just 600 rpm.

The new NV350 2.5-litre Wide Body and high roof turbocharged diesel model (95 kW at 3 200 rpm), which is also available with a five-speed manual gearbox, features significant advantages in torque availability (356 Nm at 1 400-2 000 rpm) and fuel economy, the combined average cycle returning just 8.3-litres per 100 km, with carbon emissions of 220 g/km. With common-rail diesel injection, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), a diesel oxidation catalyst and an electrically-variable geometry turbocharger, the modern diesel engine exhibits "clean" technology from its core.

Dynamics

Ride, handling and NVH are also enhanced thanks to the NV350's stable handling and comfortable ride characteristics, aided by a large-diameter stabiliser bar up front and optimised suspension bushes at the rear. In the diesel model specifically, diesel clatter and turbo noises have been reduced to create a natural-sounding driving environment, thereby reducing driver fatigue propensity.

Equipment

A comprehensive list of standard equipment in all NV350 Panel Van models allows for a comfortable and easy driving environment. 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, the multi-info trip computer, innovative interior- and head lamp battery savers, two speakers and a pillar antenna in a radio-ready setup, flattened interior load bay panels for maximisation of loading space, four rope hook points, several utility nuts on the load bay side panels as well as 15-inch steel wheels with wheel covers. The Narrow Body and low roof model features two sliding doors on its flanks, while the Wide Body models feature one sliding door and an extra pull handle on the tail gate.

Safety equipment includes ABS with Brake Assist, a driver's airbag, pre-tensioned seat belts and a driver's seatbelt warning buzzer.

All new Nissan NV350 Panel Van models come standard with a 3-year/ 100 000 km warranty, a 5-year/ 90 000 km service plan as well as a three-year anti-corrosion warranty. Service intervals for both petrol and diesel variants are 15 000 km. Due for release later in 2013, the new Nissan NV350 Panel Van variants will also be joined by their Taxi iterations.

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